


To Let Go Of Love

by PiperMasters



Series: Half dead [2]
Category: Danny Phantom, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-03-19 07:39:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 114,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3601812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiperMasters/pseuds/PiperMasters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Ignore the girlish title- it's awesome I swear) SEQUEL TO FFTGOY! It's been almost a year since they lost her. The titans moved on. Danny didn't. New threats are rising and the titans need their ghost boy. Can they help him let go of love, even when she comes crashing back into their lives in a way they never thought possible?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a dream- Danny

Chapter one- Danny

" _Isn't this nice Danny?" Liz asked, leaning back on the picnic blanket we were sitting on. The afternoon sun was warm, but not uncomfortably so._

_"Yeah, it is." I said, smiling at her. "I mean, when was the last time we did this?"_

_Liz laughed. She looked at the park view that surrounded us. Tall, green trees filled with life surrounded us. The grass was a vibrant green, the sky a perfect blue without a cloud._

_"I wish it could be like this everyday." Liz said, the ghost of a smile on her lips._

_"Why can't it?" I asked. There was nothing wrong with doing this everyday. Liz and I lived a cozy apartment in Breckenridge Colorado, the GIW had been shut down years ago, and Amity park was ghost free. Liz and I hadn't even gone ghost in 6 years._

_Now, it was her 20th birthday, and we were sitting in our backyard. We were both currently attending collage at a local community collage. Liz was studying to be an actress/ singer while I was working towards my life long dream of being an astronaut._

_Sam and Tucker lived about 10 minutes away and attended the same school. Sam was trying to become an author while Tucker was going into politics. It was awesome that we were all going to the same collage together- we had only been best friends forever. And to think it happened when we were 14..._

_Liz grinned at me and punched me playfully on the arm. "You know why you moron. We have school tomorrow! And besides, we have **lots** of planning to do."_

_I groaned and leaned back, closing my eyes as my head settled on the ground. "I'm no good at this. Can't you and Sam do this yourselves?"_

_Liz leaned over me, her hair falling in my face. I could hardly feel it as it brushed my cheek._

_"Of course I **can** ," She said. "But it's **our** wedding Danny! It says, right there on the invitation card, Danny and Liz, not Sam and Liz!"_

_I laughed, kissing her briefly. "I would hope not. I don't want anyone to marry you except for me!"_

_"I don't want to be married to anyone else but you!"_

_I smiled as I looked up at my girlfriend. The sun was behind her head, causing a ring of light to outline her entire body._

_"Which reminds me," Liz said, leaning down to rest her head under my chin. "We have to call your parents. They haven't responded to the invitation yet, and I know they're going to want to come to this."_

_"No duh," I grinned. "They're my parents! And Vlad already swore he was coming, so my dad will be hot on his heels."_

_"What about Jazz?" Asked Liz. "Is she going to be able to get away from Harvard for the weekend?"_

_I nodded. "Yup. And, in her own words, she is overjoyed that I was able to lie my way and convince a great girl like you to marry me."_

_My fiance laughed. "Well, Vlad was pleased that I was able to find such a respectable young man who really understands the reality of things. I mean, Claire is even flying in."_

_**Claire?** The name left a sour taste in my mouth. "W- who's Claire?"_

_Liz looked at me strangely. "Uh, my mom? She, Robert and Kelly are all flying up here to be part of the wedding! You were the one who called them, remember?"_

_I didn't remember. I didn't remember anything even remotely close to inviting them. "Didn't Robert die Liz?"_

_"No." Liz raised an eyebrow and rolled off my chest. "Danny, are you feeling alright? Why are you acting so weird?"_

_I was about to answer, when two people walked up. "Hey guys," Sam said brightly, sitting next to Liz and biting into an apple. "Discussing wedding plans?"_

_Tucker sat down next to her, wiggling his eyebrows. "Or maybe discussing what happens **after** the wedding."_

_"Shut up Tuck," Sam said, pressing her lips to his._

_Liz laughed too, pushing Tucker over. "More like discussing the mental stability of Danny boy here."_

_"I'm not crazy!" I insisted._

_Liz smiled. "I know you aren't baby, I'm just teasing."_

_Something felt wrong._

_"Liz," I said. "Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure baby, you know you can."_

_"What day of the week is it?"_

_Liz turned to look at Sam and Tucker, laughing. "Uh, Sunday."_

_"What month?"_

_"Baby, it's April 2nd. That **is** why we're celebrating."_

_"How old are we turning?"_

_"20... Baby are you ok? Did you hit your head or something?"_

_I didn't hit my head. Something was wrong. Dead wrong. Liz only looked like she was 16, 17 at best. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember much after my 17th birthday._

_"Liz, how did we escape the Guys In White?"_

_Sam chocked on her soda. "Danny, what are you talking about? The Guys In White shut down years ago. You remember, don't you?"_

_"No!" I said, sitting up. "I don't remember! When did they shut down?"_

_Tucker looked at me, his shaggy black hair falling in his eyes. "Danny, they closed back when we were in high school. You guys blew up the ghost portals as soon as you figured out you were both ghosts. The Guys In White shut down soon after that."_

_I shook my head. "No, no you're wrong! They didn't shut down, they captured us, they **tortured** us! Liz, show them your scars!"_

_Liz looked at me with concern filled eyes. "Baby, what scars?"_

_"The scars on your back! You know, the ones from Phobos and when the Guys In White tried to kill you."_

_"Baby, who's Phobos?"_

_"Liz," I said quietly. "Lift up the back of your shirt."_

_She looked at me like I was mentally insane, but lifted the back of her shirt all the same. Her skin was smooth and perfect; no sign it had ever been scarred or punctured, or anything._

_"Liz, what happened to the Titans?"_

_Tucker answered for her. "Are you talking about the sports team?"_

_"No! The super powered team of teenagers that we lived with for almost a year!"_

_"Baby, we never-"_

_"Yes we did!" I cut Liz off. "They found us while we were running away from the Guys In White. We were mentally scared for life and we were physically weak and there was all this stuff wrong with us but they saved us!"_

_"Danny," Sam said. "What are you talking about?"_

_"They live in California in Jump city- their names are Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire!"_

_Tucker leaned towards Liz. "He **is** too young to drink, right?" He whispered to her. Liz pushed him away._

_"Baby," Liz crawled over and sat on my lap, straddling my hips. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare or something? Why are you acting like this?"_

_"I swear," I said. "Robert died! You've never been close to Claire at all! Liz, this... this can't be real!"_

_"Danny," Liz said. As she said my name, the world around me changed. I was lying on my back in a box. I couldn't move. Liz was laying on my chest and it suddenly dawned on my what I was in._

_Liz and I were in a coffin. Liz looked down at me with wide green eyes._

_"Danny, I'm so sorry." She said. "We could have had that- I still want that."_

_"Liz... where are you?" My voiced sounded broken._

_"I'm away from you, and it breaks my heart." I realized that I wasn't actually in the coffin. I was laying on a piece of glass that trapped Liz in the coffin, and me on the other side._

_"Don't leave!" I whispered, begging for Liz to break though the glass so I could hold her again._

_She smiled sadly and pressed her palm against the glass. "Danny, I'll never truly leave you. I'm here. I always will be."_

_"I love you." I said, a tear straying from my eye and hitting the glass._

_"I love you too Danny. Please, wake up."_

_"I don't wanna wake up! If I do, then you won't be there!"_

_Liz looked at me. I itched to break the glass, to free her, to bring her back. But something told me that that wasn't possible._

_"But you can't stay asleep forever Danny. You can't have this dream forever."_

_"Why not? After everything I've done, why can't I stay here?"_

_"Because this isn't reality Danny. This isn't what you want. It may seem like a dream come true, but it's not. Please, you have to wake up."_

_"But when I wake up, what am I supposed to do?" I felt completely and utterly defeated. "Liz, what am I supposed to do without you?"_

_"You're a fighter." Liz said. "So fight Danny. No matter what the past is, look towards the future. Remember I love you, ok? And remember what you promised."_

_"I might break that promise Liz. I can't do this without you!"_

_Liz just smiled. I knew what was coming next. "Do you love me Danny?"_

_I nodded, tears falling from my eyes and onto the glass, making Liz's face look disoriented._

_"Then let me go."_

I sat bolt upright. I wasn't in bed, I was on the ground covered by a thin blanket. The echo in the empty room proved that I had been screaming.

That was why I liked this room. It didn't have windows. It didn't have anything in it. It was far away in a deserted corner of the tower, so the titans never found me here. I could sleep and scream all I wanted and they never knew.

To be honest, the titans probably didn't even know I was in their tower anymore. I only saw them maybe once every two weeks, when hunger and self loathing and silence got too intense for me to bear. On those days, I would make my way down to the kitchen.

Most of the time, all of the titans were there. They were broken over Liz's death just like I was. The difference between them and me was that 7 months had helped them heal, faded the pain, and they could act normal again.

7 months later they could laugh, smile, eat, talk, and be normal. Sure, some things were hard on them- memories can haunt anyone. But they were back to being relatively normal.

I knew they were worried about me. I mean, a 17 year old kid eating twice a week wasn't healthy. And besides, I barely ate when I had to. I ate only enough to make the body shaking tremors coming from my stomach stop. An apple or granola bar usually did the trick.

It wasn't that I didn't want to eat- I really did. The smell of Cyborgs pancakes made my mouth water as much as they ever had. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I could barely force myself to breath.

The titans would talk to me when I made an appearance. They would ask how I felt, what I wanted to eat, Robin even resorted to asking me what I thought of the weather once. But I just couldn't answer.

I couldn't react to them at all. There had been instances where my body would need food so badly that I would actually pass out, and wake up in the infirmary.

I would get lectured on my unhealthy behavior. I would get yelled at for not responding. I would get shaken by my shoulders by a sobbing Starfire who begged for me to look at her, to eat, to be normal again. But nothing could break me out of the shell- the wall that kept me away from reality.

That wall was the only thing that kept me from ending it all and joining Liz. It was the only thing that forced me to eat that once every two weeks. It was the wall that insisted that I take a shower every other day in the hopes that maybe the cold water would snap me back to the real world.

I leaned back on the hard floor, panting from the nightmare I had just had. It wasn't unusual for me to have a nightmare like that- where Liz and I had a life together only for me to realize the lie. And every time I would see her, and talk to her, and for a moment feel as if she were alive again. To hear her answer me and tell me she was ok was rewarding- until I opened my eyes and realized it was all a dream.

_Let me go._

Every single time I woke up, it was after being told those words. And it tore me apart because every time I would bolt out of a nightmare fending off tears I would expect things to be different.

I would wait for minutes- hours sometimes- for her loving embrace. Wait for her to hug me and kiss me and tell me it had been a dream. I would wait for her so push me back onto the mattress and tell me that she was there and that she was ok, I was ok, it was all ok.

But it wasn't ok. She wasn't there to fix everything. I was left, scared and heartbroken as I waited for the truth to sink in- she wasn't there.

And I would feel stupid. I wasn't 6 anymore, I didn't need someone to fight things like this off for me. I shouldn't need to be reminded that it was only a dream that wouldn't come true.

And yet- I did. I had never realized it before Liz died, but I realized it now. I never thought I needed anyone, but I needed her.

Somewhere along the way, I had been changed. I didn't want to be. When I was a kid, I was like play-dough- I could get beaten and bruised and laughed at and it wouldn't matter! Whatever happened would smooth over and I would be fine. I wouldn't care.

Then, I got ghost powers. Suddenly, I was a little harder, a little tougher, a little stronger. I guess I was like rubber. I could get the life beaten out of me by a ghost, the faith beaten out of my by Dash, but I would snap right back. You can't break rubber.

And then, I changed again. The guys In White kidnapped me and straight up ruined my life. When that happened, I was like ice. Things could melt me, chip parts of me off, I could have been completely gone. But things went my way for once and Liz and I were able to escape.

When Liz and I escaped, we were broken, suffering, pretty messed up! And while parts of us were stronger, parts of us were fragile. I started as melting ice and ended up being plastic. I could be chipped and cracked, but it was hard for me to really break.

And then 7 months ago, that plastic shell broke.

Now, I'm like glass. Cracking glass. And if something doesn't change soon, I'm not going to be able to stand it any longer, and that glass is going to shatter.


	2. Interaction- Raven

Chapter 2 Raven

7 months. That was how long she had been dead.

For some reason, that thought wouldn't leave my mind during breakfast. Nothing in particular had set it off- nothing had made me think of her in a few weeks, other then Danny. But that thought just kept swirling around in my brain, making me lose my appetite.

I felt stupid- still missing her. I mean, we had gone through our own personal grieving processes. We didn't even try to be heroes for three months. It hadn't felt right- saving people when we hadn't been able to save her. Four months later, we officially honored her death in the best way we could.

And now, she had been gone for seven months. The only thing I couldn't do yet, was say her name. Every time I tried, my emotions swelled, and it was a battle to keep them at bay. I didn't understand it, nor did I like it. I wasn't used to this pain and emptiness. But I couldn't deny the truth.

I had gotten close to a person, and she had died. And it hurt.

Of course, I couldn't complain. I had known her a little less then a year- Danny, on the other hand, had known her for three. And her death had broken him.

I couldn't look at Danny any more- not that he gave me many opportunities to. He stayed away, locked in his own world of sorrow, barely showing his face for more then 10 minutes. Sometimes he would hide away for so long, I was scared he had run away from the tower. But then someone or another would find him, passed out in a hallway, and once again we would drag him to the infirmary.

He wasn't the same person. He was far from it. Any light in his eyes had dulled, buried under a sadness no one could relate to. His once happy and energetic personality was gone, replaced by the empty shell he now was. I hadn't heard him talk in God knows how long, hadn't met his eyes in longer.

It was for that reason that I could no longer force my eyes to land on his tall, skinny frame.

I had once known a Danny who was a hero; someone who never gave up, never gave in, and always found hope. And, in a way, I admired that. I didn't understand it, but I admired it. But now, Danny was depressed and gone, and I couldn't help him. And I just couldn't let myself look at him and think of who he once was.

My team mates were different. They tried as hard as they could to fix the broken boy. They would invite him to movie night, game night, anything they could think of.

Any time Danny showed up in the kitchen, Cyborg offered to make whatever Danny wanted, though his offer was never taken. The ghost would walk in silently, eat almost nothing, and walk back out without saying a word. Or he would pass out on the floor- which ever.

Beast boy tried to make Danny laugh, using every lame joke ever made, but Danny wouldn't even look at him. He would leave the green teenager behind, still cracking jokes half heartedly.

Robin tried every card he could think of- demanding Danny snap out of it, insisting he knew how Danny felt, even going so far as to have a one sided, very heated argument.

Starfire was the most concerned, I think. She would grab Danny by the shoulders and shake him, begging him in between sobs to come back.

That was probably what brought on the conversation that morning at breakfast.

"Morning guys," Robin yawned as he walked in.

The rest of us chorused out good mornings before things fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"We can't avoid this issue any more." Robin said, poking at his eggs with a fork. "We have to talk about Danny."

Beast Boy looked up. "What else can we do Robin? Ever since... He's just not the same."

Cyborg nodded. "I mean, I'm as concerned as anyone, but it's just his way of dealing with things. Liz-" his voice cracked. "She meant the world to him. When you think about what they went through-"

"His behavior is most self destructive." Starfire mused. "Is all grief this way?"

No one answered her. She was right, Danny really was being self destructive.

"There's grieving," I said. "And then there's killing yourself. Danny is becoming a danger to himself. If he had done this for a few months, it would have been ok, but now..."

"Now it's gotten to the point where his health is seriously affected." Robin finished for me.

I nodded.

"So, it's in agreement?" our leader asked. "We do something about it?"

BB shrugged. "Well, yeah. But, like, how are we gonna do it?"

Just then, the door to the living room slid open. The room fell silent as Danny walking in, his steps making no noise.

"Hello friend!" Starfire greeted him brightly. Danny paused for a moment to look at her, then returned his gaze to the floor.

We watched as he glided over to the fridge and opened it, then closed it again. Over his shoulder, he eyed the bacon Cy was frying, as well as the eggs being scrambled.

"Want me to serve you up some?" Cy asked hopefully. I held my breath, fully ready for Danny to deny him, and leave once again. He hadn't let us feed him in over half a year.

This time however, he shrugged and grabbed a plate, holding it out so Cyborg could load it up with breakfast food.

He proceeded to shock us as he pulled a chair up to the counter and sat down. He hadn't stayed in a room with us for more then five minutes and suddenly, he was having a meal with us.

"So, uh, Danny," Beast boy began awkwardly. "How've you been?"

Danny glanced up and gave him a look like, _how_ _do you think I've been?_ Then the black haired boy shoved a huge forkful of eggs in his mouth. He looked up at Cyborg and nodded in what I assumed was approval.

Out of the corner of my eye, I locked eyes with Robin. This was the most interaction Danny had given us in a while. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Robin's expression told me he felt the same way.

"So what are we gonna do today guys?" BB questioned, acting as if Danny being with us wasn't a miracle.

Robin shrugged. "Um, I figured we'd just train, unless something else comes up."

Starfire clapped her hands and grinned. "Oh yes that sounds most enjoyable! Do you wish to train with us Danny?"

Danny shrugged and nodded in agreement.

Once again, I looked at my team in shock. I didn't know if I should be scared that Danny wanted to hang out with us, or happy. I didn't know _why_ he wanted to hang out with us, which worried me. It could mean a number of bad things, like he was giving us some final good memories to remember him by before he did something stupid. Maybe he was planning on running away and was trying to through us off. There was, obviously, the idea that maybe he was finally just getting better, but I didn't put much faith in hope like that.

The rest of breakfast was ok, I guess. The team talked and interacted as much as ever, laughing and talking about the ridiculous things teenagers talk about. At one point it boiled down to what a regular human pilot would do if we unleashed a sugar high Beast Boy on a plane.

It was ultimately decided that, if we locked BB on a flight whist being on a sugar high, the pilot (and every last passenger) would jump out of the plane, parachute or not, just because he annoyed them so much.

"C'mon!" The green teen protested. "I'm not _that_ annoying!"

Danny actually snickered at that.

"Raven," Robin said, standing. "Can you come help me with the dishes?"

I was about to protest, but the look on his face stopped me. I joined him by the sink.

"How do you think Danny's doing?" my leader asked me.

"This is the best we've seen him in a while."

Robin nodded. "I'm not sure I want him to train with us." He admitted. "I mean, it's awesome that he wants to, but I don't know if his body can handle it."

I can't say I disagreed.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens... I mean, I know he's not exactly... _stable_ right now, but he's still Danny. He's tell us if something were wrong."

Ok, maybe he wouldn't. I had lost track of how many times we'd found him passed out from exhaustion in a hallway. But my hope was that since he was literally in the same room with us, he'd speak up if something felt wrong.

Robin frowned and handed me a plate to dry. "I seriously doubt that. But, I'm also not in the mod to fight with him. If he wants to train fine. But," Robin's grip broke the side off the plate he had been washing. "If it becomes obvious that his body can't handle it, I won't let him continue. And then, I'm gonna fix him."

"Fix him?" I scoffed. "And how do you manage on doing that?"

Robin scooped the shattered plate out of the sink and tossed it in the trash. "I've experienced first hand how to trick yourself into moving forward," he said, almost talking to himself. "One way or another, we'll get Danny back."

I didn't say anything, but I turned my head to look at Danny. He was sitting with BB, Cy, and Star. My team mates were smiling, but Danny just sat there, looking like an empty shell of a person. But when Beast Boy laughed, when Starfire, placed her hand on his shoulder, and when Cyborg talked to him, there was something in his eyes.

I could be wrong, but it look like a spark of healing.

"TITANS!" Robin hollered, all smiles and seriousness once again. "Let's head to the gym."

Starfire and Beast Boy jumped up, racing each other. Cyborg looked at Danny.

"Betcha 5 bucks I can make it there before you do!"

Danny scoffed, and stood, getting into a running stance. Robin watched them closely.

"GO!" Cyborg yelled with a smile. Before he could move, Danny had taken off, running faster than I would have expected. Cyborg laughed, giving chase. No one was more surprised when I was when Danny beat not only cyborg, but BB and Star as well to the gym. It hadn't even seemed like he'd pushed himself that hard.

We all skidded into the gym, worried that Danny had over taxed himself. Instead we found him standing, panting heavily, with an arrogant ghost of a smirk on his face.

"Ohhh!" Beast Boy laughed, pointing at cyborg as he bent over to catch his breath. "you owe him big! Say ba-bye to those 5 bucks man 'cause he beat you _good!_ "

"Shut up!" Cyborg demanded, though he was trying not to smile. Only boys bond (or think they bonded) over something as stupid as running and bets.

"Please," Starfire asked for clarity. "You now owe him 5 large male deer?"

Danny chuckled.

It was brief; it could have easily been mistaken as a cough for how long it lasted. But the look in his eyes was enough to prove that the small sound he'd made had been one of amusement.

"5 dollars Starfire," I said, my face hidden by my hand. "Cyborg owes Danny 5 _dollars."_

"Then why refer to the currency in animal form?" She paused, as if having a sudden realization. "I see!" She smiled brightly. "Dollars are green, as are Beast boy. And they both can be refered to in animal form! So dollars can transform just like Beast boy, yes?"

"Uh, no. Not even close Starfire."

Starfire frowned, looking hurt.

"Let me explain," Robin offered. "Way back forever ago, in some states deer were so common and hunting them was such a normal thing to do, deer was used as money. A deer was worth one dollar and thus it got it's name today- a 'buck'."

Everyone stared at Robin with wide eyes.

"Dude," Beast Boy said. "How did you like, just know that off the top of your head?"

"I went to school."

We didn't argue and were relieved that Starfire took that as an acceptable answer.

"Alright," Robin rolled his shoulders. "So, here's what I was thinking. Beast boy, your hand to hand combat has been getting sloppy. I think it would be wise of you to use the combat simulator to work on that. Starfire, I want to see that obstacle course time improved by at least 20 seconds, got it? Cyborg, last week you only bench pressed the equivalent of three freight trucks. I've seen you do more then that in your sleep. I want you to beat your average record by 20 with the weight of 4 trucks, got it?"

The three members nodded and ran off to perform their tasks. "What do you want me to do?" asked, shifting uncomfortably. Robin glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, his message clear: _I'm getting there, just wait._

"Danny," he began. The black haired teen glanced up, as if he were shocked Robin was talking to him. "You haven't trained with us in months- I have no idea what your strengths and weaknesses are anymore. So, I want you to work with me and Raven and do a standard test. Sound good?"

Danny just shrugged. Robin grinned as if it were the best response he'd gotten all week.

"Great. So, remind me, have you taken our placement test before?"

Danny shook his head no.

"Have you ever taken one before?"

Another shake of the head.

"Do you have any idea how one works?"

Before Danny could shake his head once more, I stepped in. "For God's sake Robin, just explain it to him already!"

Robin looked slightly taken aback, but listened to me all the same. "Alright. Basically, we give you a series of tests to that we can establish a baseline of what we can expect your physical ability to be. From that our computer systems can synthesis a personal training program for you to follow that will help you improve at a healthy but... let's say superhero safe rate. Sound good?"

"Just start the test already." I snapped. I wasn't aware of Robins reason for having me supervise the tests, and I wasn't exactly happy about it.

Robin shot me a look, but walked over to the tests. For a few minutes he sat there typing, glancing back at Danny every now and again. Finally, he motioned for us to join him at the screen.

"Alright, here's what I think we should start with today," Robin explained.

I began reading the list of exercises before he could. "Hand to hand combat, agility, reaction time, self defensive maneuvers, and strength." I didn't point out that all these methods required Danny to remain in human form. He, much like I did, had probably reasoned that having Danny go ghost would be a bad idea.

Danny scanned the list and nodded, confirming that he had no objections. I wished he'd talk to us; the craving for his voice was almost painful. All I wanted was to hear his sweet voice again.

"Beast boy!" Robin shouted. The green shape shifter looked up, taking the virtual reality helmet off his head. He scampered over to us, a goofy grin on his face. "Whats up?"

"Will you train with Danny for a little?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "DUDE! Are you like, crazy or something? Have you _seen_ the way he fights? I mean, if he's even half as good as-"

I kicked him before he could say her name. Danny didn't catch where BB had been going. He just placed a hand on the kids shoulder (the most physical contact any of us had been given) and walked off towards the sparring mat, letting his arm fall back to his side.

For a moment BB just stood there. "He's getting better." He said finally. Then he ran over to the mat to join Danny.

Robin waltzed up to the side, his face filled with authority. "Here are the rules." He declared. "No powers. At all. This exercise is simple. Each of you is playing the offense role. You are trying to take the other down. The winner is determined by however stays standing the longest. And please," Robin smiled a little. "Don't hurt each other too bad."

BB and Danny nodded.

"Fight!"

Beast boy was first to attack. He charged at Danny, his fist ready. Danny ducked under the attack and rolled away. His hand was still encased in his green cast, though that didn't seem to be bothering him anymore. Beast Boy turned to him, running forward once again. Before he could get close enough to land a hit, Danny kicked his legs out from under him.

As Beast boy crashed into the floor, Danny jumped over him, grabbing the back of BB's shirt and tossing him to the other side on the mat. Beast boy spun in midair, landing on his feet. His normal smile was hidden by a scowl.

"I don't want to hurt you Danny," he warned. Danny just raised and eye brow and got into a fighting stance.

Beast Boy charged once again and fainted to the right, Danny fell for it, and BB was able to land a hard right hook to Danny's jaw. The ghost stumbled back a few steps, his hand flying to the bruise. His eyes widened, but I couldn't read them.

Beast boy pursued his opponent, pretending to try and kick Danny's leg's out. As Danny crouched to prevent that from happening, BB got another face shot in. Danny fell on his back, looking up at BB in shock.

Beast Boy got closer, ready to attack again. Danny rolled out of the way just in time to avoid yet another punch to the face. He jumped up and tackled Beast Boy. They fell to the ground, rolling over each other as they wrestled. One moment Danny would have the upper hand, but then Beast boy would come back strong as ever.

"I have to say I'm impressed." Robin mused.

"With who?"

"Both of them," Robin folded his arms over his chest. "I didn't expect Danny to be at the level he is right now. He's still strong; definitely not as strong as he was before, but still very strong. And I didn't notice until now just how much Beast boy has improved over these last few months."

I couldn't disagree with him there. Ever since we lost _her_ , our entire team had grown stronger. We had enforced our trust in each other after so many months of helping each other grieve. And the hurt and loss we felt come out in our fighting.

Suddenly, I heard Beast boy laugh. "Damn, you just don't know how to fight with out Liz to back you up, do you?"

My blood ran ice cold. Danny and Beast Boy were on opposite sides of the mat, panting. Danny had a hand pressed to his swollen jaw, and BB was holding his arm.

Danny's eyes widened. Beast Boy slapped his hands over his mouth as he realized just what he said.

"Dude," BB said quietly. "I swear I didn't mean that, I'm so sorry I-"

Danny's eyes flashed. I don't know how I could tell, but something snapped. His face hardened into a look of calm, uncontrollable rage. His jaw set so I could tell he was clenching his teeth.

"Danny?" BB asked cautiously.

Before anyone could react, Danny leapt forward, driving a fist into BB's stomach. When BB doubled over, Danny brought an elbow down on his back, sending the younger teen sprawling face down on the mat. Danny grabbed his hair, keeping BB kneeling on his knees.

Beast Boy looked up at Danny in fear. "I'm sorry!" He yelped.

Danny silenced him my kneeing him in the gut. And he didn't stop. Even as Beast Boy began to shout for him to stop, he didn't stop.

Robin ran forward. "Danny, stop!" He demanded. Danny didn't seem to hear it.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Cyborg shouted as he too approached Danny.

I watched in horrified awe as the two boys tried to pull Danny away from Beast Boy. Danny stopped beating BB and let himself be pulled away, though his eyes still burned with anger.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?" Cyborg shouted, shoving Danny against the wall. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Danny didn't saw anything, he just sat down on the floor, his eyes wide and confused, staring at nothing.

"Danny?" Starfire approached the group.

"Stay back Starfire," Robin hissed. Star looked at him, but for once paid his orders no attention.

She pushed Cyborg and Robin away and they went to look at Beast boy. I followed Star towards Danny.

"Friend Danny?" She said softly, crouching next to him. He didn't look at her, just watched with guilt and horror filled eyes as Cyborg and Robin helped Beast Boy to his feet. The teen wasn't as bad as we'd thought. Tears ran from his eyes, though they seemed to be more defeated and shocked tear than tears of pain. He would have one heck of a bruise in the morning, but he seemed to be ok.

"Are you alright?" Starfire asked Danny. He still didn't react to her.

"It wasn't your fault," I told him. "BB deserved it, he shouldn't have said anything like that."

Danny dropped his eyes to his hands, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Seriously," I tried again. I really wasn't good at this comforting business. "It's ok. Beast Boy isn't hurt that bad, in fact I think he's more impressed by you than scared."

Starfire stood up and walked away from a moment, leaving me alone with him.

"Danny?" he didn't look at me. "I'm not good at this, but seriously, it's ok. No one is mad at you for that- I've wanted to do that too many times to count. Stand up and we can move on with your training, ok?"

He didn't move.

I glanced up as Starfire made a reappearance. She once again crouched next to Danny. She pressed a bad of ice to his swollen jaw line, making his eyes snap open.

"Does this feel better?" She asked him.

Danny nodded. He moved to hold it up himself, but Starfire pushed his hand back down.

"I am your friend." She told him. "You can trust me." Danny said nothing, but looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He didn't seem comfortable with it, but he didn't move her hand.

"I miss you." Starfire informed him. "I miss my friend who used to smile and make jokes with Beast Boy and Cyborg. I miss the boy who would talk to me. I know you have experienced a great lose. It is painful when someone so close to your heart is taken from you." She rested her hand on Danny's chest, over his heart. "But you are not alone. We all have felt the lose you have; we all lost a dear friend that day. I miss her too. But I do not understand why you do not permit us to help you. I do not understand why you behave so self-destructively. You have us. You have friends, friend Danny. We wish to help you. Please let us?"

Danny looked at her in shock. Everyone in the room had wide eyes, watching as Starfire gave Danny her speech.

"Friend Liz," Starfires voice cracked. "She was dear to us all; you more than us. You were dear to her too. I have witnessed that. She wanted nothing more then for you to be happy. You are not happy. We can help you friend Danny." She blinked tears out of her eyes. "Please, _please let us help you!"_

Starfire cried loudly, but didn't move away from Danny. The ghost looked at her with an unreadable expression. But then he put his hand over the one she had on his chest. He looped the other one around her waist and pulled her closer, hugging her to his chest. Starfire rested her head in the curve of his neck, crying louder than I'd seen her cry in a while.

Danny still didn't say anything, but he didn't have too. Just by holding Starfire, he was saying more than he ever had.

After a while, he pushed Starfire away slightly, brushing tears off her cheeks with his thumb. He gave the smallest hint of a smile before standing, bringing Star up with him. She sniffed, but seemed done crying.

Seeing that she was better, Danny turned away, looking at me. He chin-pointed at the computer, indicating he wanted to continue training. Robin noticed, and walked over.

"Alright," he said, almost bitterly. "We'll deal with what just happened later. Right now, let's get the next exercise set up."

Danny nodded and leaned against the wall, his expression bored but his eyes fierce. It looked like he was mad, mad that he was mad, touched, and bored all at once.

Robin typed on the computer for a moment, and suddenly one of our oldest and easiest agility courses popped out of the floor. Danny looked at it with wide eyes.

"Go at your own pace." Robin instructed. "Remember, this is just a base line test; we aren't expecting you to go very fast so- and you're gone." Robin hadn't finished his sentence when Danny scoffed and took off full speed at the course, a determined look concurring his features.

The course was relatively simple; run and jump like, 10 hurdles, 'rock climb' a wall, swing from a rope to cross to another platform, swing from these monkey bar things and BOOM! You're done.

I had never trained on it before. As far as I knew, it was something Robin had used when he trained with whoever he was with before he found us.

I watched as Danny easily scaled the hurdles, and flew up the rock wall. When he got to the top, I realized something was wrong. His emotions suddenly spiked with fear, hurt, confusion, and a bunch of other stuff.

"Stop him," I whipped around to face Robin. "Make him stop!"

"Why?" Robin asked, looking at Danny in concern. "He's doing great."

Before I could argue, we heard a stifled whimper. Everyone watched as Danny, who had been attempting the monkey bars, his cast doing nothing to slow him down, fell to the ground, wrapping an arm around himself.

He hit the mat with a THUD, rolling and springing back onto his feet. His lips moved like he was muttering something, but no one could understand him.

"You ok bro?" Cyborg asked, slowly walking towards him.

Danny glanced up at the robot, gave him a thumbs up, and passed out.


	3. Nightmares and granola bars- Danny

Chapter 3

Danny

_"C'mon guys," Sam panted, slinging my arm across her shoulders. "It's over, you won."_

_I looked though the cloud of dust and smoke at Liz, who was being carried by Tucker. She blinked around in confusion, but didn't do much else. She was as exhausted as I was._

_"How did they do that?" Tucker asked, joining Sam's side._

_I groaned and they glanced down at me in panic. "What's wrong?" Sam demanded._

_I didn't say anything, just closed my eyes as my knees buckled, sinking to the pavement._

_"Crap," Sam hissed. "Tuck, you got your cell?"_

_"Yeah, why? Who you gonna call?"_

_"Ghost busters," Liz offered with a dazed smile. That was how out of it she was._

_"Jazz," Sam informed us. "She has a car; she can help us get Danny and Liz to safety."_

_I decided to wait for Jazz by taking a nap. I had no idea what Liz and I had just done, and I wasn't really sure how to respond to it. We had been taking on Techness, just a normal thing. But the computer ghost had gotten an upgrade or something; he had beat us pretty bad. If I hadn't been so tired from staying up late studying, it probably wouldn't have been a problem. Liz had been ru_ _n_ _ning on about three hours of sleep too; late night 'mayors daughter' interviews had been filling up most of her nights._

_Finally we gave up on our normal strategy and I decided to use my ghostly wail. Liz knew how much it would drain me, so she offered to electrocute him instead. Neither of us would let the other drain themselves and so we both_ _w_ _ound up using our most powerful attacks._

_Everything was kind of fuzzy after that. All I knew was that Techness had been caught, and I was thoroughly drained._

_"Danny!" I heard a familiar voice shout, and running footsteps approaching._

_I glanced up to see my older sister crouching down next to me._

_"Oh God Danny," she muttered, cupping my chin in her hands. "What did you guys do this time?"_

_I just offered her a sleepy smile- it was all I could do._

_"How's... Liz?" I croaked._

_Tucker patted me on the back. "She's fine man. Sleeping, but fine. C'mon," He hefted me to my feet, and Jazz grabbed my arm. "Let's get you in the car."_

_Tucker let Sam and Jazz half walk half drag me to Jazz's car while he carried Liz. Once we were settled in the car, Jazz sped off towards Fenton Works._

_"Thank God mom and dad are at the store," Jazz breathed. "I have no idea how I could've explained this one."_

_I didn't know either, nor did I care. I was so tired, but I couldn't sleep yet. It didn't feel right. There were too many questions that needed to be answered, the main one being: WHAT DID LIZ AND I DO?!_

_A suddenly movement next to me made me turn. Liz sat up slowly in the back seat, rubbing her eyes. "Danny," she muttered, her eyes not yet open. I blushed thinking that she wasn't even awake yet and was asking about me._

_"Yeah," I whispered, my throat sore from using my ghostly wail. I reached out and touched her shoulder, letting her know I was safe._ _She leaned into my touch, still not opening her eyes yet._

_"Wha happnd?" She asked, her words slurred by sleep._

_"We broke physics."_

_She half opened her eyes and gave me a tired smile. "What else is new?"_

_"You guys ok?" Sam asked, turning from the shotgun seat._

_Liz flexed her shoulders and winced. "Yeah," she cleared her throat to clear the rasp. "Peachy."_

_Tucker, who was on the right, laughed. "Man, did you see what you guys did!"_

_I leaned back in my seat. "Sorry Tuck, I was a little busy blacking out to notice."_

_Tucker seemed unaffected by the sarcasm. "Well it was AWESOME! Danny was all like_ _**'I'm gonna ghostly wail you to death!'** _ _and Liz was like_ _**'No Danny don't you're too tired! I'll do it!'** _ _and then the whole street was like BOOM and,"_

_"Tucker," Liz started._

_"And there was this HUGE explosion and,"_

_"Tucker," I tried._

_"And I swear I thought we were all gonna die there for a second! But then,"_

_"TUCKER!" Everyone in the car shouted. "ENOUGH!"_

_Tucker just laughed. "Man," he muttered to himself. "That one's gonna be in the papers for sure!"_

_Liz just rolled her eyes, rubbing her arm. I was about to ask her if she was ok, but just then Jazz pulled up in front of my house._

_"Ok, Danny, Liz, are you two alright?" Her eyes locked onto mine, clicking into over protective big sister mode._

_"Yeah, we'll be fine." I shifted and gasped as my muscles protested. "Eventually."_

_"Lord," Jazz shook her head. "You guys are 14, you shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stuff."_

_Liz shrugged, moving towards the door. She opened it, placed her feet on the side walk, and all but fell out of the car._

_"Good job." I snicked, my eyes half open. Under normal circumstances, she probably would have punched me, but this time she just let me help her to her feet. Tucker rushed over to Liz, lifting her into his arms. Sam and Jazz each took one of my arms. After a bit of work, Liz and I were in my bedroom, more then ready for a nap._

_"God, you guys are insane," Sam commented, leaning against the wall, arms folded._

_"Yeah," Liz agreed. "We know."_

_Suddenly Sam's phone buzzed. She answered with an annoyed expression. "Hey mom..." A minute later she sighed and snapped the phone shut. "Sorry guys, I have to go."_

_"Me too," Tucker said grimly, reading a text. "Man, parents have the worst timing."_

_"We'll be ok." I promised them as they left._

_Jazz watched them leave. "I'm going to go make sure that mom and dad will have something to occupy their attention; they could be home any minute. Can you guys take care of yourselves?"_

_Liz and I nodded._

_As soon as Liz was out of the room, Liz and I sighed in relief. "So," Liz smiled at me. "What now?"_

_I layed back on my bed, eyes closing._ _"_ _I dunno, sleep?"_

_Liz laughed. "Yeah, probably. I guess I should go home anyways so-"_

_I grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto my bed. "You can stay a little while longer. Vlad won't even notice and besides, there's no way you can fly in that condition."_

_She layed down on my pillow, her back to me. "For the record," she said, her cheeks burning. "This is only because I am exhausted. That's all."_

_My cheeks turned crimson. "I... I didn't think of it any other way."_

_Liz huffed, but said nothing more. I layed next to her, and soon, we were both asleep._

_"Danny," she said a bit later._

_I opened my eyes and nearly screamed._ _We weren't in my room anymore. The walls were made of jagged black rock that shined. The floor was dark wood, with a large red rug covering most of it. Instead of my bed, Liz and I where laying in a huge four poster bed. Ancient wooden dressers and chests were spread across the room. It was like we had teleported into a princesses room._

_"Where are we?" I asked. I looked at Liz and really did let out a scream._

_Her face was literally white as a sheet, her cheeks hollow and dark shadows around her eyes. Her brown hair was straighter then I had ever seen it, and framed her face in a way I had never seen before. Her lips were pale and chalky. But it was her eyes that scared me the most._ _They were purple black._

_She smiled, and it was like the Cheshire cat._

_"Danny." she repeated. Her voice sounded nothing short of demonic. "Oh Danny, what's wrong?"_

_She stood up. She was in a long white dress that was shredded. "Aren't I still pretty to you?"_

_"W-who are you?" I asked, sitting up and looking at her in horror._

_"I'm Liz." She said, twirling. "I'm the pretty little halfa girl!"_

_"No you aren't! You aren't! There's no way_ _**you** _ _are Liz!"_

_"Does this help?" Her form flickered and for a second, she was the lifeless shell of Liz that died in my arms. Then she returned to the demonic Liz._

_"Where am I?" I stood up and ran to the door, pounding my fist on it when I found it wouldn't open._

_"Don't bother." Demon Liz told me. She held up her wrist and suddenly, a metal band appeared around my wrist. It was chained to an identical band on her wrist. She yanked it and I was pulled towards her. "You and I- we're connected. Trust me, our bond goes deeper than you know."_

_"Let_ _me go_ _!"_

_"Funny," her smile looked more like a snarl. "That's what I keep telling you."_

_"You are not Liz."_

_"Oh, but I am." She pulled me closer to her. "Trust me Danny, I'm Liz. I'm just the side you don't want. The side you didn't love. The side that became the Fallen Angel."_

_I shuddered. "But Liz and I never become Fallen Angel and Dark Dan. We changed history!"_

_"You changed history." Liz mused. "Yeah, we did. We totally fudged it up too, but we don't really care, right? Besides, it doesn't matter. The road you're headed down, you'll become Dan soon enough."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_Liz scoffed. "You don't see it? The way you've been acting? Your attitude towards life? You can't tell me you think it's healthy."_

_"I-"_

_"Save it!" She turned me around and suddenly, we were both looking in a mirror. But instead of our reflections, it showed two different people._

_The Liz in the mirror was 16, looking exactly the way she did that day I fell out of that tree. The day our lives officially changed. The Danny next to her wasn't the me of the present, he was the me of that same day._

_"_ _What are you doing on the ground Danny?" She asked. "You fell, didn't you?"_ _She sarcastically clapped her hands. "You're just all kinds of smooth, aren't you?"_

_"Yup," I said, mystified. My reflection spoke with me. "Mr. Smooth- that's me." I remembered telling her those exact words._

_The reflection rippled and my real reflection looked back at me. I nearly screamed for a third time. I looked exactly like Liz; white face, dark shadows, shredded white clothes, and black eyes in all._

_"Look at us," Liz almost sounded proud. "Two dead teenagers."_

_"I- I'm not dead."_

_"Oh, aren't you though?_ _You might not be dead, but you can't call yourself alive._ _" Liz ran her fingers over my jaw line. "Look at you, and look at me. I may have been the one who bled out, but you're the one who killed yourself. Not eating, sleeping, living? Tell me you're alive."_

_"I am alive."_

_"Don't lie Danny._ _When I died, you came with me. Look at you! I mean, seriously look at you."_

_"Listen to me." I spun around and pulled away from the creep posing as my girlfriend. "I don't know what kind of sick dream this is, but you aren't Liz. You are not real. I'm alive, I'm living. I may be taking a while to heal, but I'm alive."_

_"You're a lier Danny." Liz yanked on the chain connecting us, and I collided with her head on. "You're not a part of the living. Join the dead."_

_Her dress began to be stained red where she'd been shot. The same location on my torso began to hurt. I looked down as our blood began to m_ _e_ _rge, dripping to the floor in a sick lake._

_I began to fall, but Liz stood tall, staring down at me with a frown._

_"Guess what Danny," her eyes changed, the black fading away and being replaced by the forest green eyes I knew so well. She kept getting taller and taller, the room dissolving around her only to be replaced with flames. "You're even more dead then I am."_

_The chain disintegrated and I fell into darkness._

"Danny!" Someone shoved my shoulder. "Wake up already."

I opened, my eyes and saw the titans looking down at me. I immediately recognized the room as the infirmary.

"Never. Do that. Again." Cyborg demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you try training with us again, I will duct tape you to a wall, understood? You can't do stuff like that unless you take care of yourself! Your body can't handle all this Danny!"

I dropped my gaze to the floor. I had heard this all before- "Stop doing this Danny", "Come back to us Danny", "We miss you Danny", blah blah blah. Their words meant nothing to me. I saw through their lies- they didn't care. Not really. They only felt _obligated_ to care. And I didn't need sympathy.

The memory of my nightmare still lingered. What had that been about? Demonic Liz... she was nothing like my Liz. And saying I was dead? Pfft, whatever. Halfway maybe, but hey, I'm half ghost. 'Dead' kinda comes with the gig.

"Are you even listening to me?" Cyborg snapped.

"Oh course he's not!" Raven huffed. "Has he ever?"

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. I didn't understand it- why did they want me to talk so bad? It wasn't like talking would change anything. And besides, I had nothing to say. What did they want to hear? "I'm sad," "I'm broken", "You can't put me back together"? What would that solve? Nothing. So my mouth stayed shut.

"Friend Danny," Starfire sat next to me on the cot I was sitting on. She held out a granola bar to me. "Please take this?"

My stomach yearned for me to say yes, to take and eat that granola bar, and another one, and another one. But my brain took one look at it, and told my stomach to shut up and deal with it. Why'd I need it? I already had breakfast.

"Danny?" Star tried again, pressing it into my palm. I gave it back to her. She grabbed my hands, sandwiching the snack between her hands and mine. "Friend Danny," her big green eyes reminded me painfully of Liz. "She would want you to."

I turned my head away. Like Starfire knew what Liz would want. Liz would want me saving people- that's all. And I couldn't do that; I couldn't save her, and I tried. She was the only one I wanted to save. So those people being held hostage at a bank robbing? Not my problem. That kitten stuck in a tree? Whatever. Let the real heroes do their thing.

 _You're a hero Danny._ Liz told me once. _You're my hero._

Yeah, well I failed. So what kind of lame hero was I?

"Bro, Liz wanted you to be happy." Beast boy tried, sitting on my other side. "So stop missing her like you are. We all loved her, but she's gone now. And you know what? She died with you. Nothing could have made her happier, except like, knowing you'd be cool and stuff."

Another lie. They didn't know her.

"We tried everything we could." Robin joined. "But somethings are supposed to happen for a reason."

What reason was there for Liz to die? What possible reason was there to justify it? She was young, had already been through hell and back, and had finally been getting a normal life. So give me one good reason that had to be taken away from her.

"Will you all stop treating him like such a kid!?" Raven yelled; everyone's head snapped up to watch her. "Look Danny, now you're just being ridiculous. So your girlfriend died! GET OVER IT! Do you see the sun out there?" She pointed out the window. "Guess what? It came up today just like it has every other day since she died. And the world is still spinning on. Life didn't stop. Seasons still change, day turns to night, days and weeks and months go by. The world didn't stop because one little girl died."

"Raven!" Robin barked, but she didn't stop.

"And look at that, waves still crash, wind still blows, grass still grows! It's all the same. Flowers bloom, clouds still float by, and the stars still shine! It didn't stop. And you know what else didn't stop? People. They still go through their everyday lives, doing their everyday things. Their world didn't end."

"Raven!" Robin yelled at her. "What are you doing?"

Raven glared at him, then at me. "Don't you get it Danny? The world is exactly the same as when she was in it. And you know what? She _loved_ the world. She loved the sun, the spinning earth, the seasons, the days and weeks and months. She loved the flowers, the winds, the grass, the clouds and the stars- she loved it all. She loved the people, even after all they did to her. She saw the beauty in it all. She saw how beautiful it was when people did their ordinary things in their ordinary lives."

My eyes were wide. Was all of this really coming from Raven?

"And she loved you Danny." Raven shook her head, glaring outside. "And all she wanted- _all she freakin' wanted_ \- was for you to see it too. And God, she'd be disgusted with you now."

That stung. That, in all honesty, hurt. I stood up, my fists clenched at my sides. She had no right to say that.

"Take it easy dude," BB said, putting a hand on my arm. I shook him off.

"Oh look." Raven rolled her eyes in my direction. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

"Raven," Robin said in a warning tone.

"It's not like I lied! She would. She would be completely and utterly disgusted."

I shook my head. Liz wouldn't- not at me.

 _"_ Liz would be so disappointed in you Danny."

"No!" I snapped. I was shocked my voice even worked, I hadn't used it in almost half a year. It sounded weird to hear it again. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" Raven wasn't shocked at all that I was talking. "What's there to be proud of here Danny?"

"You didn't know her like I did." I argued. "She would _never_ be disappointed or disgusted with me."

"I would be, if I knew what you had become. If she knew how messed up you were?" Raven scoffed. "She'd think you were dead one, not her. After everything she did for you, this is how you repay her? I wouldn't be surprised if she hated you."

"LIZ WOULD NEVER THINK THAT!"

"Wouldn't you?" Raven paused, letting the room become completely silent. "If the situation was reversed, and she was acting like you were, what would you think?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn't. Not when what she said made so much sense.

"She would be so disappointed in you Danny."

"Don't." I whispered, closing my eyes tightly. "Don't you dare say that. SHUT UP!"

"You know she would."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" I felt tears prick my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "You can tell me anything, call me anything, whatever. But don't you dare say that."

Raven walked up to me. "You aren't the only one who made her a promise. Now," She took the granola bar from Starfire and pressed it into my palm. "Eat it."

"I don't-"

"I don't care if you want to or not." Raven's eyes were hard. "If you aren't going to live for yourself, then live for her. Because no matter what this messed up world threw at her, she lived, and never stopped living."

I didn't make a move to eat.

"Danny so help me God if you don't start eating that I will force it down your throat."

With a sigh, I unwrapped the granola bar and bit off half, chewing sarcastically.

Can one chew sarcastically?

Raven watched me, a small smile on her lips. "Good. Now, just keep doing that, everyday. Keep living, talking, eating, and hanging out with us every day."

"And what if I'm just done with all this?" I asked, swallowing hard. "What if I don't want to?"

"Then don't think of it as a want. Think of it as a need. As in you need to do it for you, for us, and for Liz. And maybe you'll learn to want and enjoy it along the way."

She walked past me, her shoulder brushing mine. I just sighed, and finished my granola bar.


	4. Pink thoughts and memory trees- Raven

Chapter 4

Raven

Ok, I'll admit, I was harsh. Danny probably didn't want to hear any of what I had to say. But did I regret it? Not even a little bit. He had talked- well _yelled_ \- for the first time in over half a year. And he ate. I mean, I wasn't there to watch, but I smelled Cyborg cooking so I assumed he was eating more. So everyone could be pissed at me if they wanted, I had no regrets.

If I were telling the truth, I was mad. Not at Danny. Not at the titans. At Liz. At this point, I could even say I hated her.

Look at what she had done to Danny. She left him and he was lost without her; a broken action figure missing it's most crucial parts. She had hurt everyone in the tower, including me. She left us all and gave us plenty of scars to remember her by.

I punched my pillow. So maybe her leaving wasn't her fault. Maybe that's not why I hated her. Maybe I hated the promise she had me make. The things she made me swear to do. And I hated what she did to me. I had made a point to stay disconnected from everyone. I knew what I was, what I had to do to control it.

She broke my walls. She made me... _social._ She brought me close to her, to Danny, and to my team. She created bonds I didn't want to make. She tied herself and everyone else to my heart. And now where she once was, there's a huge hole that can never be filled again.

I threw my pillow across the room, yelling in frustration. How did she do it? How did she accomplish in a matter of months what my team hadn't done in two years?

I threw another pillow.

What was it about her? She was just one girl- one of the 7 billion people on the planet. What made her so different? How many 17 year old girls were there with brown hair and green eyes? Why was she so different from them?

"WHY DOES THIS HURT?" I screamed, flipping my bed, not even using my powers. I watched the frame and mattress turning over, almost in slow motion. I stood there panting, glaring at what I had done.

"Raven?" I turned. It was Danny at my door. He didn't look scared or surprised or mad. He just... looked.

"Go. Away." I ground out. He didn't. He just looked at me, his eyes understanding.

"Thinking about her, huh?"

"I said go away!"

Danny scoffed. "You wouldn't listen to me when I said that; consider this payback."

"To be fair," I watched as he strolled into my room. "I'm not killing myself."

Danny shrugged. "Maybe not. But hey," he spread his arms wide. "I'm half dead all the time."

"Funny. What was it you wanted?"

"Someone's snappy today." Danny commented, flipping my bed back over with one arm.

"I see you didn't lose any of your ghost strength." I felt my cheeks burn as I saw the muscles on his arms.

Danny shrugged. "Yeah well, I had to do something to keep from going insane. Push-ups and sit-ups can distract you pretty well."

"You could have used the gym."

"But then I would have risked seeing you people. Although now I guess I'll have to," his eyes flashed as he looked at me. "Since apparently you're gonna suddenly get all deep if I don't."

"It needed to be said."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, 'cause I really needed to hear that Liz would hate me. That felt real nice."

I rolled my eyes. "God Danny, get over it. You know I said what I said for a reason. Sucks when the truth hurts I guess."

"The truth?" Danny marched up to me, glaring down at me. In the last half a year he had grown taller, he was at least a foot taller than me now. As I looked up at him and his stormy blue eyes, I almost got scared by what he had become. But then I remembered who was in front of me, and it disappeared.

"Yeah, the truth."

Danny pushed me away from him slightly. "That was not the truth!" He shouted. "Liz isn't- _wasn't_ \- like that. She never once thought that about anyone. She wasn't disgusted with me, or disappointed or-"

"Or hated you?" I finished, my voice raising. "You're right Danny, she didn't think that. But you never gave her reason to! Now?" I pushed him back, and he landed on his back in front of my mirror. "Now look!" I pointed to my seldom used mirror.

Danny glanced up at his reflection, the anger melting off his face the longer he looked at it. As I watched him, my anger left me. It was something about Danny's face- he looked so tired. And he looked disappointed in himself.

"You're right..." He said quietly, his head falling. "Y-you're right." Danny stood up and leaned closer to the mirror. "I am a disgusting excuse of a human being. A disappointment to everyone. How can I say Liz wouldn't hate me, when I hate myself?"

Crap. We were getting into emotional talk. And yet, my brain didn't shut down this time. This time, I knew what to say.

I walked over to Danny, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, you really are a mess."

"Thanks." He said sarcastically.

"Oh, I mean it." I stood next to him, looking into the mirror with him. I hated looking in the mirror; I was not something anyone should see. But standing next to Danny, suddenly it was ok.

"I mean," I gestured to our reflection. "Just look at you. You're thin as a twig," I poked his stomach and he flinched, a small smile appearing on his lips. I forgot how ticklish he was. "You're hair is just a _mess_ ," I ruffled his matted hair. "You haven't been outside in over half a year. Look at how pale you are! You, my friend, are disgraceful."

"You really aren't good at this whole consoling thing, are you?"

"But," I pointed at the mirror again. "There's more then that. You aren't broken Danny, just bent."

"Did you just quote a P! nk song?"

My cheeks burned red. I didn't think he'd know that song. "Not important. The point is, when I first met you, you were just as messed up as you are now, just in different ways. You wouldn't trust me or anyone else, you wouldn't really do anything. It was like you were waiting for something to change, but not doing anything to change it. And that part of you got fixed."

"But now I'm broken again." He pointed out.

"Not broken," I repeated. "Just bent."

"If you say 'so I can learn to love again' so help me-"

"Well, it does fit your situation. You never thought you'd be who you are today when I met you; you didn't think you'd have friends or save people ever again. Look at you now! A guy with friends who saves people. And you wanna know something? I _know_ that you think you'll never love again."

"I won't."

"You will." I awkwardly patted his back. I didn't know where these words were coming from, but they seemed to be right. "In all honesty, there's another P! nk song that you should listen to. It fits your situation pretty damn well."

"What song is that?"

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Try. Seriously, it's perfect for you."

It was true. He and Liz had had 'desire' and that had created a flame. That flame had burned Danny- and the rest of us- pretty bad. But just because it burns, doesn't mean we're gonna die.

God, Liz had corrupted me with music too.

"Just try." I finished. "Try and be yourself again."

Danny sighed, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but alarms cut him off.

"TITANS TROUBLE!" Robin's voice shouted through the intercom system.

I rushed towards the door before realizing Danny wasn't behind me.

"C'mon," He looked at me in surprise as I called to him. "I know you haven't done this in forever, but we need you."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

Danny rolled his eyes, but ran after me, going ghost as he did. It made me happy that he was fighting with us, his team, after so long. He did get some questioning looks from our other team mates, but a nod from me ceased them. If Danny over worked himself fighting, he'd learn not to. And after what happened earlier that day, I doubted he'd want to push himself that far again.

"So what's happening?" He asked casually as we piled into the T-car.

"dunno," Cyborg admitted, flooring the gas pedal.

Danny rolled his eyes and watched out the window as the city went by. Suddenly, Cy slammed the breaks and everyone pitched forward.

"CY!" BB yelped, peeling his forehead off the back of the drivers seat. "A little warning next time?"

"Sure," Cyborg turned to the green teen, a sarcastic smile on his face. "Next time Slade give me warning that he's about to JUMP OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN STREET I'LL BE SURE TO WARN YOU TOO!"

Robin pushed back from the dashboard, blinking and shaking his head. Danny rubbed his neck, Star untangled her hair from her seat belt, and I got off the floor where I'd landed.

"Did you say Slade?" I questioned, looking at the deserted street.

Cy nodded, creeping out of the car. "Yeah! I swear, he was just here."

Slowly, we all inched out of the car, suspicious eyes darting around nervously.

"Are you certain you witnessed Slade?" Star asked.

"Yes!" Cyborg insisted. "I swear I did."

Beast Boy turned into a blood hound and bent to the ground, sniffing furiously.

"This is going to end badly." Robin said, his hand sneaking towards his belt. "I can feel it."

I couldn't argue with that. Something felt bad about this situation. Cyborg was the best driver I knew; if he said he braked to avoid Slade, he meant it.

BB the blood hound stopped suddenly and growled, tipping his head back to let out an ear splitting yowl. Everyone winced and covered their ears.

"BEAST BOY!" I snapped. "We get it!"

The dog turned into a tiger and began to pace back and fourth in front of us. Danny walked up to him, dragging a hand over BB Tiger's face. The big cat purred, pressing his face closer to Danny's palm. Danny kept petting Beast Boy, but his eyes were scanning the world around him. His face was dark and serious.

I had to admit, it was entertaining to see Danny in his ghost form next to Beast Boy. With all the green the two shared, they looked like they could have been part of some crime fighting duet.

I scanned the surroundings. To my right, there were stores and small cafe's. To my left was the park.

Danny closed his eyes, his body language showing how focused he was.

Finally, Robin lowered his hands from his belt. "Guys, I don't think-"

"There." Danny's head snapped up. "He's in the park."

"How-" Robin began to question.

"Trust me."

No one looked to happy about it, but we followed Danny into the park, sprinting after him as he flew through the trees. After a few minutes, we gave up on running and decided flying would be better; Cyborg (who recently gave himself wings) flew himself, as did Starfire, so I levitated Robin on a disk of my magic.

I looked around self consciously as we got deeper and deeper into the trees. The over hanging branches blocked out most of the afternoon sunlight, making the world a dark place full of shadows.

"What do you think Slade wants this time?" Robin questioned in a whisper.

"Revenge. Blood. Murder. Maybe a bit of all three."

"And here I was hoping it was just my cell number he was after."

Danny suddenly stumbled to a stop in a small clearing, his eyes wide.

"Damn. Of-freakin-course." He huffed, slowly rotating so he was in a fighting stance.

I followed my gaze to wear he was looking, and saw none other than Slade, lounging casually in the strong branches of a tree.

"Took you long enough." He commented. He turned his head lazily to look at us, he one eye unamused.

"Slade," Robin snarled, as he did every time he met with his foe. "What do you want?"

Slade said nothing, just sat up let his legs dangle over the edge of the tree branch. No one moved or even breathed as his eye scanned over us.

"Well," he said. "I know I've never been good at math, but I could have sworn there were seven of you. Now I only see six. Then again, no one's seen much of any of you for quite some time now."

Danny's jaw tightened.

"Get out of here Slade." Cyborg demanded.

"Why would I want to do that?" Slade asked. "We have so much to talk about."

That was all Robin needed to hear. With a quick "TITANS GO!"" He jumped off my disk of magic, and sprinted towards the tree, BO-staff in hand. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy a followed close on his heels. Danny, however, stayed behind, and I chose to wait with him.

Slade didn't have a problem avoiding my team; he simply went higher and higher every time they scaled another branch.

BB (in a monkey form) swung at an amazing speed, catching up to Slade quickly. He was swatted to the ground, however, with a quick swipe of Slade's hand.

Cyborg was shooting at him from the ground; he was too heavy to climb the tree. His shots were good, but the branches made it impossible to hit his target.

Starfire flew around the tree, shooting her Star bolts and trying to push Slade out of the tree. I didn't know why they were trying, to be honest. Robin was the only one who had ever been able to take him; Liz had too, but obviously we couldn't count on her for help.

Finally, Robin reached Slade, as far up in the tree as they could go. Slade stood a few branches above Robin, looking down at him with his hands behind his back.

Robin glared at him, his staff drawn. "Wanna quit playing tree hugger?" Robin snapped. "Then we can have a real fight."

"Why would I want to fight a stupid brat like you?" Slade stalked to the edge of his branch and jumped off, flipping a few times before landing expertly on the ground.

"It's nice to see you again, Raven," he inclined his head towards me. Before I knew what was happening, he lunged forward and grabbed my arm, yanking me to his chest.

"Azerath-"

His hand clamped over my mouth. "Now now, can't have you doing that, can we?"

"Let her go Slade," Danny growled.

The other Titans rushed over, but stopped when they saw the position I was in.

"Let me speak," demanded Slade. "Or this will be the last of your sweet Raven."

I jerked around in his grip, but he only tightened it. Robin narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly pocketed his staff. The rest of the team stood down as well, much to their obvious displeasure.

"Do you know why we're here?" Slade asked. He wasn't asking my team, he was asking Danny.

The ghost boy said nothing, but his eyes flashed with sudden recognition.

"This place holds some wonderful memories, doesn't it Dan?"

"Danny," Danny corrected. "My name is Danny. And no, it really doesn't." he was lying.

"Really?" Slade pretended to be shocked. "I would have thought for sure you'd remember it here. That tree really is comfortable- I see why you enjoyed sleeping there."

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at my team. Sleeping in trees? What was Slade talking about? Whatever it was, it struck a nerve with Danny. I could see it in his eyes.

"If you want it, be my guest. It's just a stupid tree."

"We both know it's more than that." Slade cocked his head to the side. "It's more than you even realize Dan."

" _Danny_ ," Danny hissed, his fists tightening. "My name is _Danny._ And you sir are insane because this place means nothing to me."

Slade simply laughed, only fueling Danny's anger. "Then allow me to show you what you are blind to. This is the tree that you and Lizzie played house in for so long."

Danny stiffened.

"This was where you spent you last normal- if you can call it that- day on Earth. That morning you met the jogger. It all started with you falling out of a tree, didn't it? Mr. Smooth, correct?"

"H- how did you-"

"Please," Slade scoffed. "Do you think people just randomly fall out of trees in their sleep? No. I knew you needed a little... _push._ "

Danny's green eyes glowed brighter.

"And do you honestly think that city people are so nice as to just stop and help two homeless teenagers? Not in this city Dan. But, I have friends in many places, Jacob being one of my finest."

"Jacob helped us... because _you_ asked him too?" Danny let out a humorless laugh. "Whatever."

"Scoff not young ghost child. Do you think it was coincidence that this one man knew of one girl in one cafe in a huge city, that would willingly help two homeless teenagers? Fate cannot be that kind to an abomination such as yourself."

Danny blinked. "But... but _why_?"

"Because I needed to get you to the Titans."

Everyone's breath stopped.

"But that's not even the most wonderful part of this place. That clearing over there is where you and the titans first met, during a little snowball mishap. I have to admit, that worked out nicely; I didn't need to do anything. And the snow ghost joke- that's a personal favorite of mine. And-"

"Time out!" Danny made a T with his hands. "You _wanted_ Liz and I to find the Titans? Why!? And the snowball fight wasn't the first time we even met them! We met them-"

"When Liz convinced you to play hero and follow them to the county jail." Slade finished. "Yes, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist playing hero. That's why I sent Cinderblock in the first place."

Robin was watching the scene with wide eyes. Everyone was shocked; had Slade really planned all of this from the beginning? That just wasn't possible, was it?

"Why would you want us to meet the Titans!?" Danny yelled, moving forward. He stopped when Slade tightened his grip on me. "What was the point!?"

"The Guys In White had to find you somehow."

Danny's jaw fell, his eyes widening in horror. I couldn't help but notice the scar the Guys In White had left above his eye. It seemed more prominent now.

"And they did find you," Slade continued his story. "They found her, right here, in front of this tree. And they shot her, right where you're standing."

Danny looked at the ground and backed away from it as if it would kill him. The glass was dead in small, strange shapes. Looking at it, my brain flashed back to the day Liz was shot. Slade was right, this was the place.

For a second I saw the image again; Liz looking in horror at her own blood covered glove, her legs giving out from beneath her, the single tear rolling down her cheek. It was like it was happening all over again. Judging from Starfires stifled chocking noises, she was remembering the same thing.

"You," Danny breathed, his voice shaking. "You _wanted_ us to go back there? You _wanted_ Liz to die!?"

Slade tossed his head back and laughed. "This just proves how naive you all are!" He shoved me to the ground, stalking towards Danny.

Danny backed up until he was trapped between a tree and Slade. He looked up with wide eyes as the tall man leaned down towards him.

"I got news for you Dan," The world went silent. "Liz isn't dead."


	5. Normal anti-aging- Danny

Chapter five

Danny

Needless to say, Slades words messed with me. I stood there, like an idiot, with my back pressed to the tree, mouth opening and closing like a fish. She wasn't dead!? What did he mean she wasn't dead!? She had _died_ in my arms.

Slade chuckled, pounding a fist into the tree, not two inches from my face. I didn't even flinch.

"Not what you were expecting, huh Dan?"

"Danny!" Raven snapped. "His name is _Danny._ "

Slade paid her no attention; his gaze was on me. I couldn't move, I could hardly breathe. Slades look was making me head spin, and I wondered briefly if he had done something to me. I couldn't hear anything but my own heartbeat.

"Slade!" Robin roared, running forward. Slade's head snapped to the side as Robin's staff connected with it. Starfire rushed over to me, guiding my body so I was sitting on the ground. My mind was racing; I couldn't keep hold of a single thought.

' _Liz isn't dead.' 'Liz isn't dead'._

He had to be lying. Yeah, it was all a trick. He was trying to mess with my head. He didn't actually plan this. He didn't push me out of the tree! He didn't plan for Liz to die. He couldn't have. He just... No one would do that to her!

The titans were fighting Slade, except for Starfire who stayed by my side, a worried hand crushing my arm.

"Friend Danny?" She whispered. I looked at her. "Slade is lying, yes?"

"I- I don't know."

"He is lying." She repeated, this time a statement rather than a question.

Anger flared in my chest, and I stood up. Robin was pressing his staff across Slade's neck, trapping him between him and a tree.

"Why?" I demanded, pushing Robin to the side and holding Slade to the tree myself. "Why would you do it?"

Slade didn't answer, but I could just _feel_ his smirk. One hand stayed around his neck, and I lifted him a few feet off the ground.

"I believe I have said too much already." Slade pushed me away and jumped into the tree branches above him. Before we could stop him, he had jumped and flipped away. Robin moved like he was going to follow him, but then decided against it, sitting on the ground.

"That was," Cyborg began, sitting on the ground."

"Weird?" Beast Boy finished for him. "Yeah. Just a little bit."

Robin joined us all on the ground. "You know Slade was lying, right Danny?"

I nodded.

"He's a creep." Beast Boy spat. "Was anything he said true?"

I nodded again. "Yeah. Liz and I did stay here for a while- that exact tree."

Cyborg blinked. "You... You honestly slept in a tree?"

"Yeah."

"For how long?"

I raised a shoulder. "A couple of weeks, maybe a month? I don't really remember."

Raven shook her head, but said anything. "Friends?" Starfire spoke up. "May I suggest returning home?"

Everyone agreed, and soon we were home.

"Video games?" Beast Boy challenged Cyborg.

"You're on!"

I collapsed on the couch next to Cy. "Can I play winner?"

"Yeah," Cyborg grinned. "I'd love to beat you!"

"Hey!" Beast Boy protested. "I might win too ya know!"

Cyborg just laughed. The game we were playing was called 'Super Mega Monkey Racers 3'. It didn't look all that different from Mario Kart. You still got power ups, made other racers slip on banana peels, and could 'blue shell' people into the losing spot. Instead of a shell you used poison bananas.

It turned out that I didn't have to play winner, all three of us could play at the same time. And good thing too.

I sucked. Majorly.

"Dude!" Best Boy laughed as I crashed into yet another wall. "Have you ever driven a real car?"

"No."

The two paused. "You don't know how to drive?"

"Need I remind you that I didn't even have a roof over my head for two years?"

Cyborg shook his head. "Well, we gotta change that. Every 17 year old needs to be ale to drive."

I paused. "How old are you guys anyways? I never found out."

"Robin's 17, but he turns 18 soon." Beast boy informed me. "Raven just turned 16, Starfire is 16, almost 17, and I'm 15." he grinned. "But I turn 16 in three months."

Cyborg rolled his eyes. "And I'm 18. Just so you know, I've been a cyborg since I was 15."

I nodded. "Cool. Can all of you drive?"

Cyborg shook his head. "God no. Just me and Robin. Raven hates driving since she can fly and Starfire..."

Bast Boy shook his head. "Let's just say we had 5 cars when we met her."

I shuddered at the thought of the kind alien princess behind the wheel. I had seen her when she got annoyed with a villain, leaving scorch marks on his skin. Now stick that in gridlocked, rush hour traffic? Not in a million years.

"What about school?" I questioned.

"Sure," Cyborg nodded, his eyes locked on the screen. We were still racing as we spoke. "We home school."

BB gagged. "Yeah, because _someone_ decided that math was a 'required skill, even for heroes'."

"I heard that!" Robin shouted from a few rooms over.

"Robin doesn't home school." Cyborg informed me. "He was already raised by someone who educated him. Like, past collage level stuff."

"Who raised him?"

"Dunno. He never says. Just that he was 'the best'."

I shrugged, jerking my remote to the side as I tried to avoid a banana. "Anyway I could start homeschooling too?"

Beast Boy gawked at me. "You _want_ homework?"

"I'm not as dumb as I look. I was one of the smartest kids in science until I got powers. I think I'd be fun."

" _Fun?"_ Beast Boy sputtered. "Video games are fun. Watching the Teenage Mutant ninja Turtles are fun. Listening to music so loud that you can't hear anything else for an hour is fun. School is not fun."

"Sure it is. When Dash isn't there."

They looked at me strangely and I realized they had no idea who Dash was. I just brushed it off. Telling two superheroes how I used to be bullied and had to be saved by my friends (who were girls) didn't seem like a good idea. Maybe someday I'd tell them about the time Liz broke into Dashes room and filled his locker with half of his collection of Care Bear stuffed animals (best day ever!), or how Sam replaced his shampoo with ranch dressing, but not today. Besides, admitting that _Sam_ (and Tucker) had had to save me was not something I'd be anxious to reveal.

"You really want to?" Cyborg clarified.

"Why not?"

Beast Boy scoffed. "You have Robin as your teacher, and still say school is fun."

I shrugged. I was starting to get tired of playing video games, so I left Cy and BB so I could talk with Robin about homeschooling. He was just as surprised as Beast Boy and Cyborg had been.

"You _want_ to home school?"

"Yeah, didn't the other titans?"

Robin shook his head. "No, I forced them into it. Except Starfire and Raven- they don't home school."

"Why not?"

"They aren't human. They both came from different worlds- it didn't seem right to try and force all our history and culture on them. Raven does some stuff on her own though, reading out history textbooks and stuff like that."

"Cool."

"So, why do you want to do this?"

I shrugged. "It's... Something Liz and I always wanted to go. Graduate high school and stuff." I smiled a little. "She didn't know me before I got my powers so she never knew how I used to be a good student. She always teased me about being a slacker. I guess I just want to do something normal- like school. And learning to drive. I'd like to do that too."

Robin nodded. "Well, I don't see a problem with it. And besides, if you decided you want to stop you can." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Just don't tell Cyborg and Beast Boy that I'm giving you that option."

I gave him a half grin- the most anyone had gotten out of me in a while. "No problem." I pretended to zip my lips closed and Robin laughed.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal."

I raised an eyebrow, still pretending that my lips were sealed shut.

"I will let you home school and we'll teach you to drive. But, in return, you have to spend at least three days a week with us, and eat at least two meals every day. Deal?"

He held his hand out for me to shake. I did.

Robin smiled at me. "Alright. Then I guess we should start out by figuring out what you remember from 9th grade."

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(:::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

A week later, it was Thanksgiving. All week, I had been keeping my end of the deal. I was doing my homework, hanging out with the titans almost everyday, and eating 2 meals a day.

It still felt wrong to be the one eating, so that was a challenge for me. I felt guilty with every bite I took, especially if it was something Liz would have liked. Which was practically everything.

"Friends!" Starfire beamed, spreading her arms wide. "Let us give thanks on this joyous holiday!"

I just rolled my eyes. I didn't have much to be Thankful except for the fact that this past year the Guys In White had done nothing to try and kidnap me again. I guess they had been happy to just kill Liz and leave me behind.

"C'mon dude!" Beast Boy jumped on my back, waving a tofu turkey leg in front of my face. "You have to be Thankful today! It's Thanksgiving!"

I shook him off. For whatever reason, he had an obsession with jumping on me, either as himself or as some sort of animal. The other day as I'd been training with Robin, a gorilla had suddenly landed on my back. The most surprising thing was how I'd been able to hold him up with almost no effort.

"What do I have to be thankful for?" I snapped. Today was just one of those days where the loss of Liz was getting to me. The Thanksgiving I'd shared with her last year had been so fun, it felt wrong to try and celebrate without her.

BB turned into a cat and purred, rubbing his face on my leg. I stared down at him. He had been doing this often too, turning into an animal and acting like my pet.

"Knock it off Beast Boy." Raven snapped. "you'll get cat hair everywhere."

With a hiss BB jumped and turned back into Beast Boy.

"You've got plenty to be thankful for Danny," Robin told me. "You have a roof over your head, awesome food to eat, and good friends. That's all you really need, isn't it?"

Raven glared at him out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. I just folded my arms and sat down on the couch. I was _so_ not in the mood to explain that Liz was all I needed. I had given up on trying to explain what she had meant to me- the Titans just didn't get it.

"May I ask," Starfire clapped her hands together. "What exactly is the meaning of this holiday?"

"I got this!" BB announced, jumping on top of the couch. "Alright so basically the Americans and the Indians were like 'cool bro, we helped each other out so much this year' and so they decided to eat like, turkey and stuff all together. And they were all thankful and stuff because the Americans had gotten away from England- who had an obsession with tea- and had new friends and new turkey to eat and so they celebrated their thankfulness!" He beamed at us.

I opened my mouth to correct him, but Raven covered it with her hand. "He was close enough."

I closed my mouth. Robin just laughed, and switched on the TV. "Jump city always has an amazing parade on Thanksgiving," he explained, flipping the channels. "As heroes we can't really go to them without being mobbed, but they do televise it."

We all seated ourselves on the couch, watching the TV. "We always have floats dedicated to us in the parade!" BB told me excitedly. "I wonder if you'll have one too!"

I hoped not. While it would be _so cool_ to have one, it would also be like a giant flashing target over my head screaming "HEY GIW COME AND GET ME!"

"Here," Robin landed on the channel he wanted and leaned back. "It should be starting any minute now."

We watched for a few minutes as a woman talked about the parade and what we could expect to see in it. Suddenly, just as the parade was about to start, the screen went fuzzy and changed.

"Hello my duckies!" An old British man grinned.

Starfire gasped and Robin narrowed his eyes. "Mad Mod!" he hissed.

"So sorry to interrupt," Mad mod said. "But your little celebration will not be televised. Matter a fact, it's been out right canceled. As in- IT NEVER HAPPENED!" The man pressed a jewel on the top of his staff and the screen filled with black and white swirling lines.

"DON'T LOOK!" Robin yelled, hiding his eyes with his arm. Everyone turned away and hid their faces.

"You American colonies have been rebellious long enough," I heard Mad mod say. I had a bad feeling that not everyone had been smart enough to look away like we had. "I'm reclaiming this city in the name of jolly old England! And you lot had best bow down to you new ruler- King Moddy, the first."

Robin pushed a button and our TV disappeared.

"Cyborg!" Robin turned to the teen robot. "Can you track where he's transmitting from?"

"Duh."

In no time at all we tracked Mod to a train moving through what used to be the subway.

"TITANS GO!" Robin shouted. It took us a while, as the train was moving, but we were able to bust into the train, interpreting Mod mid-sentence.

"Class dismissed Mod," Robin snarled. "Your twisted history lesson is over."

Mod glared at us. "Oh is it now, my little snot?"

He pressed a button and a clear shield fell from the ceiling. Robin jumped and got on the same side as Mod, leaving us alone to watch what happened. Robin grabbed Mod's staff, and they did that weird one hand over the other thing until they both had run out of staff.

"Aren't you getting a little old for this?" Robin snapped.

Mod grinned maliciously. "On the contrary laddy, I'm feeling younger by the tick." He pressed the top of his staff and went rigid. He and Robin called out as the staff electrocuted the both of them.

Everyone pounded on the glass separating us, but it had been designed to hold us back. I couldn't even phase through it.

Cyborg blasted at the wall, but it ricocheted and we had to jump to avoid being hit. Smoke came from the ceiling and it took awhile before it cleared. When it did, Starfire looked though the glass and screamed.

Robin, who was just as old as mod had been, was lying on the ground, And standing victoriously next to him was the newly teenaged Mad Mod.


	6. We're doomed- Raven

Chapter six Raven

"You _will_ change him back!" Starfire demanded, banging her fists once more on the glass separating us from Robin. We all stared in horror at what had just happened.

Robin was old and Mod was young. And it was downright the creepiest thing I'd ever seen in my entire life! Robin couldn't even stand up on his own- he was just sitting there, looking lost.

I glanced at my team, Starfire pounding on the glass and everyone else gaping at the scene before them.

"FIX HIM!" Danny shouted, his eyes wide but his voice firm. He hit the glass and a few hairline fractures appeared. " _RIGHT_ _ **NOW**_!"

Mod's eyes widened as he saw the damage Danny had done.

"A new face 'ere I see! Sorry laddy, but I think Robin's doing just fine. Besides, as I've always said, youth is wasted on the young!" He sat in his chair, spinning away from us and pressing buttons on his control panel. Danny sneered and punched the wall again, this time everyone joining with him.

"Ta ta titans!" Mod waved at us over his shoulder, laughing as the front of the train- the part we were locked away from- separated from the train, turned into a rocket, and took off.

"How'd he afford something like that?" Danny muttered, shaking his fist out.

"Uh, dudes?" BB waved his hands in the air and pointed as Robin and Mod went on one set of tracks, and we were sent down the other. Cyborg cursed as he saw the dead end we were barreling towards.

"Crude!" Beast Boy whimpered, turning into a cockroach and scuttling up Danny's leg.

Cyborg jumped in front of everyone, and we all crouched behind him. Starfire grabbed my hand with one of hers, and gripped onto Danny with her other. Beast Boy was still a roach, and had settled himself on Danny's shoulder.

Everyone yelped as we hit the wall, Cyborg shielding us. For a moment, all I could hear was the sickening sound of crunching metal, breaking glass, and falling brick. Dust and other smells filled my nose and I leaned into my hand to cough.

"Everyone ok?" Cyborg called, pushing large chunks of debris away from us.

"I am alright," Starfire confirmed, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Me too." I blushed and pulled away when I realized my hand was around Danny's wrist.

Danny coughed, but raised a hand, offering the smallest of a forced grin. The roach on his shoulder waved his antenna, so I assumed Beast Boy was alright too.

Cyborg let out a sigh oh relief. "Ok, then let's get out of here." He moved to push another hunk of debris away, but Danny blasted it away before he could.

Cyborg and I shared a quick glance as Danny stalked out of the tunnel he'd created and into the street.

"Guys?" Danny called down. "You might wanna see this."

Starfire sighed, following Danny up into the city. "Oh, where could he have gone with our friend?" She pouted, dusting off her clothes.

"Maybe the same place he went with out city!" Beast Boy breathed, pointing at what used to be Jump.

Our city wasn't even from the same dimension anymore. The buildings had been replaced from images cut right out of a 1600's British text book. They didn't even look three dimensional. The sky had been replaced with a huge British flag.

In short, it was as if some beginner photo shop student took a bunch of images, and pasted them over what used to be my city.

"Oh look deary!" My neck snapped to the side as two elderly woman carrying wicker basket walked down the side walk. "Kippers!" The woman went one. "Nine for 12 pay!"

"No," the woman turned down the item. "They smell like fish. I hate fish!"

"Isn't that the Proper sisters?" Cyborg questioned, watching as they turned the corner.

"They used to be." Beast Boy agreed.

The Proper sisters were these two sweet ladies who had a thing for Robin. Every time they saw us they'd stop us to they could pinch Robin's cheeks, call him too skinny, and give him cookies. But they weren't normal grandmas; they blared rock music, owned a tattoo parlor, and where known to right out beat anyone who got on their bad side.

They didn't even dress like normal 80 year olds. They were always wearing huge clunky boots, leather skinny jeans with holes in them, and rock T- shirts. Their hair was often dyed some outrageous neon color, and they had more than enough piercings.

So seeing them walk down the street with short white hair, in sensible clothes, talking in English accents; needless to say I was stunned.

"If Mod could turn the Proper sisters so... _proper_ ," Danny looked around us with horrified curiosity. "Than what else do you think he can do?"

"READ ALL ABOUT IT!" A young paper boy shouted, shoving a newspaper in our faces. "KING MODDY TEACHS TITANS A LESSON!"

I grabbed the paper and glared at the kid until he ran away. Everyone crowded around to see the picture of Robin tied to a chair on the front cover.

"WE'VE BEEN UNION JACKED!" Cyborg yelled in shock.

"Friends?" Starfire pointed to the road behind us where 8 foot tall toy soldiers were marching towards us. As we watched their mechanical jackets opened to reveal TV screens; kid of like evil British Tellitubbies.

"Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, and whatever you do," Cyborg covered his eyes with his forearm. "Don't look at the... hypnoscreens..." He trailed off into disappointment as he saw Beast Boy watching the screen, his eyes reflecting the mind controlling pattern.

"DUCK!" Danny shouted as the soldiers pointed their rifles at us. He jumped forward and tackled Starfire, just in time to keep her from being shot.

"Make Beast Boy laugh!" I yelled, dodging another bullet. "It's the only way to snap him out of it!"

Starfire reached out and grabbed Beast Boy, pulling him behind a car.

"What shall I do?" She inquired, looking desperately at Danny.

"What's the most immature thing you can think of?"

Starfire pondered this for a moment, then smiled. She shoved Beast Boy into Danny's arms, and proceeded to make farting noises with her armpit.

For a moment, Danny just looked at her. Then laughter came from his arms and BB stood up on his own and laughed.

"Smashing love!" He giggled in an English accent. He patted down his spiky hair until it was smooth and parted. "Jolly good laugh!-" He stopped suddenly, realizing he was talking like Mod, and screamed.

"Oh dear! I'm a Tommy, a limey, a _Brit!_ "

Danny snicked ever so slightly before ducking to avoid being hit by a bullet.

"YO BRIT BOY!" Cyborg shouted. "We could use a hand here!"

He wasn't wrong. He was currently wrestling with one of the shoulders, as I was attempting to blast mine to bits.

"Right then!" Beast Boy put up his fists. "Have at you!"

I shuddered as I heard Cyborg slam into a wall, his metal body screeching against the brick. He growled as he jumped over the robot, getting shot at all the way. He tried to blast the soldier, but his attack did nothing. Even Cyborgs strong metal hands couldn't make a dent in them.

"Oh boy," his voice was small as a soldier hit him, sending him rolling head over heels down the street. Starfire flew in just in time to see her friend get wasted. She blasted the soldier with her starbolts, but once again the attack was in vain.

"Let go of me!" She screamed as the soldier's arms extended, wrapping around her shoulders and beginning to squeeze her.

"Starfire!" Danny yelled. I watched, eyes wide as he picked up a car with his good and, and threw it at the soldier as easily as if he were throwing a base ball.

The robot turned to him, his arms out stretched.

"Azerath, metreon," And I dropped a double decker bus on the soldier.

For a second, I floated there, waiting for the robot to reappear when a sharp pain hit between my shoulder blades.

"GAH!" I yelped, walling forward and skinning my knees on the street.

"RAVEN!"

Danny ran over to me and crouched by my side. His eyes were panicked.

"I'm ok!" I breathed, rolling my shoulders. "They aren't actually bullets- just energy blasts."

Danny breathed a sigh of relief. I look behind him and yelped. "MOVE!" A soldier was headed right for us. Before it could make it, however, a green T- Rex head butted it over a few buildings and far away.

"Thanks Beast Boy," Danny muttered as he helped us up. The green teen just smiled.

Suddenly, his ears pricked up and he turned around. The robots- though horrifically mangled and disfigured, were on their feet again and were headed towards us.

"They are quite... durable..." Starfire panted, helping Cyborg up.

"British engineering love!" Beast Boy said with pride. "Finest in the world!"

I groaned. "Will you _please_ stop talking like that?"

BB narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "You're just jealous because I sound like a rock star." He huffed.

"You can join One Direction _after_ those things are destroyed!" Danny snapped.

Cyborg nodded in agreement. "If we hold our ground we can take 'em!"

He faltered as the ground shook; we turned to see dozens of more soldiers marching towards us.

"We can't take all of them!" I looked at my friends.

"RUN AWAY!" Beast Boy declared, sprinting into an ally, the rest of us on his heels.

It took hours before we were able to loose the soldiers. Even with me letting us pass through walls and Danny making us invisible, they still managed to find us. It was around 10 at night when we figured out that there was a small section of ground under the bridge where their search lights couldn't see us.

"Whew!" Beast Boy smiled, sitting back against the support beam of the bridge. "Jolly good thing those blokes didn't fancy a swim!"

I rolled my eyes, smacked him, and messed up his hair.

"DUDE!" He yelped, rubbing his cheek. "Why'd you-" he paused, realizing his Britishness was gone. "SWEET! I'm American!"

I grinned. "Your welcome."

"Hey!" Cyborg snapped, glaring at us. "We need a plan! We have to stop Mad Mod, save Robin, and take back the city. I know they're tough, but we gotta take these tin toys on head on- full frontal assault!"

"No!" Starfire argued. "We must find Robin! Once Robin's youth is restored he will lead us to victory!"

"You're both wrong!" I stepped in. "Mad Mod is behind all this. We have to sneak into his control room and take him down first."

Beast Boy scoffed. "No way!" He cleared his throat. When he spoke again it sounded like a bad ass, kick butt, takes no crap from nobody general was speaking. "What we need to do is go under ground. Organize a resistance movement! Starting with a trained gerbil army. Then-"

He stopped when Cyborg glared at him. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" And just like that, everyone was yelling over each other, trying to convince everyone that their plan was the best.

"ENOUGH!" Danny shouted. I'd forgotten he was there. Currently he was sitting on the ground, his head on his knees. His face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes; he hadn't done an intense mission like this in almost a year. I felt bad for not noticing how bad of shape he was in earlier.

"Arguing solves nothing." He went on, standing on shaking legs. "We need to pick a plan and stick to it."

Cyborg rolled his eyes but nodded. "Fine. While it may not look like it, this is still America. I say we vote." He raised his hand. "Who's for full frontal assault?"

Starfire shook her head and raised her hand, "Find Robin!"

"Sneak attack!" I lifted my hand.

"GERBIL COMMANDO'S!" Beast Boy grinned. "Actually... training gerbil's takes forever. I vote for Starfire!"

Starfire squealed and hugged him.

"Well Danny?" I turned to the ghost boy. "Who's plan do you vote for?"

"I don't care!" He snapped. "I just want the town back. You guys call the shots on this one- I'm staying out of it."

"Starfire's plan it is then," Cyborg said reluctantly, scowling at the ground.

"Ok," Danny turned to Star. "Well, it's your plan. Lead the way."

We searched the town until morning, looking for any sign of Robin. Finally, when the sky was beginning to turn bright again, Cyborg was able to lock on the GPS coordinates on Robin's communicator.

"It's dead ahead," Cyborg whispered, looking around the corner.

"City hall?" Danny questioned. "Isn't that a little obvious?"

No listened though. I could see Robin sitting in a chair towards the top of the building.

"ROBIN!" Starfire said with joy.

"Star, wait!" Danny hissed, but he was too late. Starfire flew upwards towards our friend, arms outstretched. She loved to hug him, but we arms passed right through him.

"Huh?"

Tearfully, she floated back down to us. "It was a hologram." She informed us. She held out Robin's communicator and we all sighed.

"Mad Mod is smart..." Danny yawned, rubbing his eyes. He had long since stopped maintaining his ghost form, and was back to being the black haired blue eyed kid I was used to seeing.

"Smart lad!" We turned to see as the roof of city hall raised thirty feet above where it should be, revealing a giant TV screen. Mod was positioned on said screen, grinning maliciously. "Ol Robbie's here with me. Sound as a pound. But it look like you lot have wandered into a trap!"

He hardly had time to share horrified looks before 30 some soldiers marched out of city hall, their guns pointed right at us.

"I do not believe my plan is going to work..." Starfire muttered in horror.

"FIRE!" Mod ordered from the TV screen.

He ducked as energy blasts were shot towards us.

"WHO VOTES FOR FULL FRONTAL ASSAULT!?" Cyborg challenged, running head on towards the soldiers.

"Don't just stand there!" Mod snapped, looking down at the soldiers. "KEEP BLASTING!"

And blast they did. We tried fighting back, and we did get a few good shots in; Cyborg's fist went all the way through on soldier, and Dino BB head butted another into fireworks. But ultimately, we were still sent running. Our powers had little to no affect, but their guns had plenty of power in their punch.

"KEEP FIGHTING!" Cyborg desperately encouraged. "We're gonna win!"

"You sure about that?" Danny panted. We followed his gaze to see half a dozen huge military tanks aiming at us.

"RUN AWAY!" Beast Boy shouted again.

"You'll never defeat us Brits! Mod taunted form the TV. "Just look at you lot!"

We all yelped as we fell into a deep hole. I was sure we were screwed, but the soldiers didn't look down. They kept marching forward, not bothering to so much as look at the hole we were in.

"Well, we're screwed. Cyborg commented. "The sky is a freakin British flag- the whole city's gone haywire!"

Everyone nodded.

"Two plans down." Danny commented, his eyes half closed. We were all tired now; fighting would be infinity harder if we didn't get some sleep and food soon.

"Two to go." I finished.

Danny yawned and dragged his fingers through his hair. "If we agree to drink tea from now on, do you think Mod will stop?" He laughed sleepily. "I'll only watch Doctor Who from now on! Call it football instead of soccer..." His eyes slipped closed.

"Hey Danny," Cyborg nudged the ghost with his foot. "I know you're tired man, we all are. But we don't have time to sleep now, ok?"

Danny nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Right, right. Sorry."

Beast Boy sat up straighter all of a sudden. "Guys I got it! I know how we can beat Mad Mod! First, we're going to need a cargo plan of shaving cream, then-"

Starfire covered BB mouth with her hand. "May I still do the vote for Raven's sneaky attack?"

"Alright," I nodded. "Listen carefully. This is what we're going to do."

Again, we spent a few hours sneaking around the city; instead of looking for Robin, we were looking for Mod.

Danny helped a lot. Even though he was half asleep, he told us all the tricks he and Liz had picked up while running away- and some he'd learned on TV.

"Here!" BB whispered some time later, motioning us towards a set of door. "I think this is it!"

"Good." I praised him, reaching for the handle. "Now all we need to do is-"

"Raven!" Danny spun me around and pointed with wide eyes at the sky. A giant towering doll of Mad Mod was breaking through the clouds and glowering down at us.

"Ya know," the doll said. "There's an old British saying my duckies! Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And you lot are as doomed as doomed can be!"

We all watched in horror as one of Mod's hypnoscreens took over the sky, sucking us in before we could stop it. It was suddenly as if we'd be thrown into a cartoon; running along the bottoms of screens, being tossed between time zones and dimensions, and all the while being chased by Mod's army. Music played constantly, making it seem like some British, evil montage.

We witnessed as Mod rebuilt Mount Rushmore to mirror himself (as he took pictures of himself rebuilding it... yeah, confusing), welded the crack on the liberty bell closed, and the next second we were sitting in Mod's cup of tea!

"City hall," Cyborg pointed to the building. "Mod got us here once, he won't think to look again. We should be able to hide here... till Mad Mod's tanks come to tear it down."

"Whoa." I breathed. "That was even more depressing then what I was going to say."

"Do no despair!" Starfire said brightly. "We will save Robin and the city, and stop Mad Mod!" She paused. "Somehow." She added as an after thought.

Danny yawned and sank to the floor.

"Dude?" Beast Boy looked at him. "you ok?"

"No," Danny Yawned again. "I'm not ok. And let's be honest, there's no way we're going to beat Mad Mod like this."

"Are you saying we should give up!" Cyborg accused, but he hardly had any emotion in his words.

"I'm saying," Danny nodded. "That we don't have any more ideas. And if we don't think of something fast, then not only us but the rest of America is screwed."

BB looked up hopefully. "So, gerbil commando's then?"

"Well, we're doomed."


	7. Gerbil commandos

Chapter seven Danny

Beast Boy sighed. "You're right. Let's face it! My gerbil commando plan is just lame."

I almost agreed with him, until I realized that we needed a pep talk, not put downs.

"It's not any worse then my plan..." Raven sighed.

"Or mine." Cyborg agreed.

"Or mine." Starfire said sadly.

"Now I know how those turkeys felt on the first Thanksgiving." BB pouted.

"He's right about one thing." Raven admitted. "This is hopeless. We tried everything we could think of! Nothing worked."

"But why not!" Cyborg snapped in frustration. "I mean, we're dealing with a scrawny little stick man with a tricked out cane! Why can't we bring him down!?"

"Because the Mad Mod was right." Said Starfire. "He said those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it."

I nodded. "She's right. Look at the history of this country, this city, this team. Everyone needs a leader, and we don't have one right now. And no one stepped up to the plate either. We should have known better! Dictating plans not everyone agrees with, rushing in without a solid idea of what we're doing? It's happened before; to the county, and to this team. And it failed. Mod was right- we were doomed to fail from the beginning."

"But we can still learn!" Starfire said. "This democracy is not simply about voting- it's about compromise. Out of many different people, you make a county. Out of many different people, we make one team. And out of many flawed ideas, you create one that works."

Cyborg nodded. "We didn't need four ok plans, we needed one spectacular one."

"Each idea had something about it that worked." Raven agreed. "And each one had flaws. But if we learn from what we did, we can create a better plan- one that just might work."

I nodded. "Cyborg was right when we said that we need to take out the soldiers. Raven was right when she said we needed to take out Mad Mod using stealth. And Star was right when she said we needed to find Robin." I left out Beast Boy's gerbil army as casually as I could. Because seriously? Gerbils?

"But how can we engage in every plan?" Starfire asked. "All of them failed?"

"You're right." Everyone looked at me. "They failed when we only used one at a time. But if we combined them all into one plan, it might be crazy enough to work."

For a moment, everyone was silent- pondering what I had just said. Then suddenly; "I'm in."

I looked at Raven- I didn't expect her to be the first one to agree with me.

"Me too." Said Cyborg.

"I too will participate in this plan!" Exclaimed Starfire.

"I got you bro!" BB said with a smile.

"You're plan Danny," Raven rested her hand on my shoulder. "You lead us. We trust you."

I was stunned, but I tried not to show it.

"Alright. First thing we need to do is know where Mod Is going to be. We know that where ever he is, Robin will be there too. But he'll also be guarded. Here's what we have to do."

As I explained my plan, the titans eyes widened.

"Y-you can _do_ that?" Cyborg stuttered.

"Yeah... I just don't like doing it that often so we have to wait until the last possible minute."

"This sounds crazy, you know that right?" Raven clarified.

"Yeah. But crazy is how I do things."

Raven shook her head. "No. I'm not going to do it. Even at your healthiest, it drains you. You said it almost killed you once. I'm not letting you do it."

Cyborg nodded. "If you were... if the situation was different, then maybe. But right now?"

"We don't want to risk it." BB finished.

"But it might be our only chance!"

"We'll figure something out." Raven assured me. "On that doesn't have a strong possibility of killing you."

"But-"

Starfire put her hand on my arm. "Friend Danny, we appreciate what you are offering. But we believe that your other talents- the safe ones- could be used to our advantage more than... this one."

I opened my mouth to protest, but gave up. "Alright. We'll file that idea under **For Emergency Use Only.** Deal?"

"Deal." they all agreed.

"Alright. Let's go get our city back."

It wasn't long until we got to put our plan into action- it was actually about 20 minutes after I'd come up with it. Even though it was 8 at night (if my math was right, then we had been going for about two days without sleep with pure hardcore fighting and running. I was looking forward to some food when this was all over.) Mad Mod was hosting a parade in his honor.

Humble little stick man we had on our hands here.

We huddled on the top of a building, watching as hypnotized citizens of Jump watched with slack faces as Mod (and an army of hundreds of soldiers) marched through the street. Mod waved and smiled like a pageant queen.

"Look!" Starfire gasped and pointed to Mod's float. It was hard to see, but Robin was in the back of the float.

"I told you" I whispered. "I told you they'd be together."

"Nice call." Cy praised.

"What do we do now dude?" BB inquired, watching the parade with distaste.

"We need to get everyone to safety." I turned to Raven and whispered something to her. She nodded.

"Alright. Cy, I need you to ground the float with Mod and Robin. BB, turn into... I dunno a monkey or something. Stay with Starfire until..." I trailed off. "Well, you know."

He nodded and POOF! Instead of an angel, Starfire had a monkey on her shoulder.

"Ready guys?"

"No." Raven monotoned. "And for the record, I think this plan is crazy, stupid, and could possibly get us killed."

I smirked. "Well, that's how my plans work. Now TITANS GO!"

They looked at me strangely for a second, then jumped into action. Raven was up first- she crushed the hypnoscreens with her powers, thus ending the mind games. As she did, the soldiers stopped.

"Oi!" Mod yelled. "Who told you lot to stop? Keep marching, my adoring British are in the middle of adoring me!" He trailed off as he saw his 'adoring fans' fleeing from him.

Cyborg blasted the hot air balloon that was keeping Mod's float in the air, and it deflated, sending the float crashing to the ground.

With a quick shift of costume, Danny Phantom appeared on the scene as well. I tied a big group of soldiers together with my ectoplasmic rope (can I get a good name for these things please?) and Raven used her powers to fling them over some rooftops and hopefully back to the real England.

"Man," Cyborg teased. "I bet even real British people don't like you!"

"A frontal assault?" Mod questioned. "Didn't you try that already?" He yelped and ducked as Cyborg sent a blast towards him. "Right then! ATTACK!"

Dozens of planes soared towards us and hundreds of soldiers poured into the streets. Without hesitation they aimed their guns and began firing.

Raven looked at me and I nodded; she used her powers to shield the team. When the blasts paused so the soldiers could reload, Raven and Starfire (who still had monkey BB on her back) flew up, each holding one of Cyborgs arms. Cyborg all but roared as they tossed him towards a line of some hundred soldiers.

I smiled as Cyborg did what I'd told him to do; he blasted away at the street, making it cave into the swearers and taking the soldiers with them. They could rot down there with the teenage mutant ninja turtles for all I cared now.

Raven joined him in wailing on the robots, and helped protect him as the tanks came rolling in. A ghost of a smile crossed my lips. The Titans were working together, and they were doing pretty damn well.

I looked above me as Starfire kept the planes on her tail. She shot about half of them out of the sky, but soon she was on the top of a clock tower, and was being circled by the planes.

_Good. This might actually work. Just stay strong guys. We can do this._

My gaze returned to Raven and Cyborg. I cursed. The robots had surrounded them- there were more of them than I'd thought.

I risked a glance at Mod and felt sick; he was aiming a canon at Raven and Cyborg. Before I could even shout to warn them, Mod fired. Not only did most of the robots blow up, but Raven and Cyborg were injured- knocked unconscious. Two more robot soldiers picked them up.

A scream reached my ears and I watched in horror as Starfire was shot off of the clock tower and fell the entire way to the ground, being caught at the last minute by a soldier. She too was unconscious.

"Psst, dude!" BB suddenly popped up behind me. "What do we do! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

I bit my lip. "Ok, new plan. New plan... um..."

"What a surprise!" Mod was teasing the Titans. "Your plan failed! And look here, I only see three of you! Where'd the other two run off to? Back home to mummy? Or did my soldiers cross some of you off after all?"

The titans below blinked away and looked at me, waiting for me to fix the mess I'd created.

My mind was black.

"Dude!" Beast Boy ushered. "Plan? Soon?"

Mod pointed his cannon launcher at the titans, an evil smirk on his face. "Well no matter. I can cross at least three of you off right now!"

"Beast boy turn into something small!"

A green snake appeared at my feet. "NOT A SNAKE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN INTO ANYTHING ELSE!" I yelped, jumping away from him and almost falling off the roof. A gerbil took the snakes place. I glared at BB as I picked him up and stuffed him into the pocket of my green vest. " _Never_ turn into a snake while your around me again, understood?" I took his squeak as a yes.

I looked down at the street, at the titans at gun point, and I jumped. I landed on the ground and rolled so I landed three feet in front of Mod's gun.

"I wouldn't do that Mod. Put the gun down."

Mod grinned, but didn't lower his weapon. "Well look'e here! You didn't die after all. Good on you laddy! Now either move, or be destroyed."

My hand ignited with a green ectoplasmic energy. It pulsed and flashed more powerful than I'd ever seen it, but I didn't entirely care.

"I said stop Mod." I looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Robin. "I'd hate to have to blast you; I'd have to _catch_ you before you hit the ground."

I hopped bird brain understood what I meant.

"Can't say I didn't try," Mod sneered. He moved to pull the trigger, but I let my ecto blast fly, and it hit the cannon right out of Mod's hands.

He glared at me, but his features suddenly relaxed in a scary sort of calm. "Alright then laddy," his tone was icy. "I won't kill your mates." He gestured at the robots. "They will."

I watched horrified as the robots began to pull on the titans, getting sufficient cries and shouts.

"Crap. RAVEN!" I shouted. She and I locked eyes.

"NO!" She shouted.

But I didn't listen to her. It was probably stupid, and yes, it might be very bad for my health, but what wasn't these days?

I could almost hear Liz calling me an idiot.

I turned from Mad Mod and took a deep breath.

"DANNY DON'T!" I heard Cyborg shout.

I ignored him. I ignored all the shots and pleas. I ignored the voice in the back of my mind saying just how stupid I was. I just took a deep breath and did one of the stupidest things I've done in a while.

I attacked with my Ghostly Wail.

The effect was just what I expected- the robots were blown away (so were the titans, but whatever) and stopped working. The tanks collapsed on themselves, and planes fell out of the sky. Building walls crumbled and fell. My energy drained away, my hair and eyes changing back to black and blue.

I fell to the ground, my throat stinging, but victorious all the same.

"W- what'd you do?" Mod lifted me by my vest, shaking me around and making my head spin. "What'd you bloody do?"

"Can't say... I didn't... try!" I looked at Mod with half closed eyes.

"Right you little brat. Any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"No. But I have a gerbil in my pocket."

With that Beast Boy jumped out, turned into a panther, and pounced on Mad Mod. Mod yelped as he fell back. His cane flew through the air and landed right in Robin's open palm.

Mod skidded to a stop at Robin feet. "Now laddy! Let's not do anything rash!" Robin just smiled and pressed the button on the cane, restored his youth, and proceeded to snap the cane in half.

I looked around in a half conscious haze as the British allusion Mod had created literally fell away, like a bad high school play stage.

"ROBIN!" I watched as Starfire flew over me and crashed into Robin's arms. "You are back!"

"Yeah I'm back Starfire," Robin laughed. "What took you guys so long?"

"We had to brush up on our history!" Beast Boy shrugged. "No biggie!"

"Danny!" Raven dropped to my side.

Suddenly, all the titans rushed around me, asking me questions and yelling at me.

"You idiot." Raven told me as Robin and Cyborg slung my arms over their shoulders and dragged me back towards the tower. "I told you it was a bad idea!"

"It worked... didn't it?" I slurred.

"Well yeah but... it was still stupid!"

I just rolled my eyes and gave her a tired smirk. My stomach growled. Raven looked at me.

"When we get home I swear-"

"I'll make whatever you want." Cyborg finished. "Pizza, burgers, hotdogs, you name it."

I just closed my eyes and let them help me towards the tower. I must have drifted off because I woke up about ten minutes later, on Cyborg's back. Beast Boy was in panther form and was all but crawling next to Cyborg. I felt guilty- I knew how tired everyone was- not just me. But at the same time I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I didn't protest.

"Thanks..." I croaked out to Cyborg, resting my forehead on the cool metal of his shoulder.

He turned to me ever so slightly, startled that I was awake.

"You just saved my life man. It's the least I can do."

I turned my head and watched the buildings and stores we passed by. As we passed the park, the wind picked up and swirled around, sending some fallen leaves chasing each other through the air.

That was when I realized just how wasted using my ghost wail had gotten me. I swear I saw Liz. In the flesh, smiling at me from a tree branch, Liz. She smiled at me, blew me a kissed, and whispered something before disappearing.

My mouth dropped open. Even though it should have been impossible, I'd heard exactly what she'd said.

_I'm proud of you Danny._


	8. Pranksgiving- Raven

Chapter eight Raven

"How is it still Thanksgiving?" I asked, turning on the TV and flopping down on the couch. The parade had just started- the one that should have taken place two days ago.

"When Mad Mod's delusion stopped, it must have gone back to the time it started..." Robin shrugged. "Or something like that anyways."

Starfire walked over to Cyborg and helped ease Danny off his back. The poor kid was out cold- his ghost attack had drained him.

"He's so stupid." I muttered as Star layed him down on one side of the couch. "We told him it was a bad idea."

Cyborg shrugged. "We should have known he wouldn't listen."

"I'm glad he didn't listen to us." BB said, jumping over the back on the couch. "You guys were in serious trouble- I don't know what we would have done without him."

"Still stupid." I argued.

"Fine." Robin agreed. "He was stupid. But he saved your lives. I say we drop it for now. Let's be thankful he did what he did, and leave it alone."

He too sat on the couch. With Danny sprawled out on on side of it, it was a bit of a tight fit. Beast Boy turned into a cat and began to purr on the back of the couch. Starfire was next to Danny, and had repositioned him so his head was in her lap. She gently ran her fingers through his hair as he slept. Cyborg tried to take up as little space as possible, but robot's aren't exactly compact.

"Here Raven," Robin stood up. "I'll sit on the floor."

"No, you don't have to do that!"

Robin shrugged. "You could sit on my lap if you want."

My cheeks turned pink, but I excepted his offer all the same.

The parade was just as boring as ever; stupid floats, clowns walking around handing out candy, Ms. Jump city waving and blowing kisses to the public, and the crowd cheering when our floats went past.

"Dude those are sick!" BB announced, shifting into a human and leaning forward. He pointed excitedly at our floats.

"They get cooler every year." Robin agreed. I felt the vibrations of his laugh through my back.

Even I had to admit they looked cool. Robin's float was first. A giant blow up of Robin looked down at the crowd with an intense smile, his Bo -staff in hand. Starfire was next; the eyes of her blow up self glowed green. BB's float actually altered its shape from BB, to a snake, to a panther, to a dog, and back. Cyborgs flashed in places that I assumed was trying to make it seem more like a computer.

"Danny didn't get one." BB noticed.

Robin nodded. "That's probably a good thing. Can you imagine what would happen if the Guys In White came after him again?"

No one said anything. Beast Boy kept his eyes locked on the TV, watching his float change shape. "Wanna play a trick on Danny?"

Everyone looked at Danny, then Beast Boy, then back again.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked suspiciously.

BB grinned evilly. "Everyone follow me."

No one moved.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Robin said.

"I do not wish to partake in these activities." said Star sweetly.

I just glared at BB.

"Well I'm in!" Cyborg smiled, jumping up. He and Beast Boy raced out of the room to do God knows what.

"What do you think they're going to do?" I asked Robin. I was still on his lap, even though I didn't need to be. I didn't know what to do- Robin wasn't suggesting I move. Did that mean I was supposed to move by myself? Was him not saying anything mean he wanted me to stay? Or was he just being polite? I decided not to move, Robin would tell me if he wanted me to get off.

"I dunno." Robin yawned. "I don't entirely care either. They know better than to do something really stupid."

I didn't entirely agree with that, but I let it slide. I yawned too- we still had yet to sleep. But it was early afternoon on Thanksgiving- again- so it didn't seem right to sleep yet.

Starfire was asleep, leaning back on the couch while Danny's head remained in her lap.

"Danny seems to be doing better," Robin mused. I nodded.

"Not great," I countered. "But better."

Robin turned to look at Danny. "I'm worried about him. I don't know how to help him and I just-"

"You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped Robin."

Robin dropped his eyes and absently rubbed his left wrist.

"Are you going to take your gloves off?" I asked. Robin hardly ever took them off- it was kinda weird.

"I'm good." He replied shortly. I looked at him, but decided to drop it. For a minute, we just sat there, listening to Starfire snore and Danny's even breaths.

"I didn't say thanks..." Robin said quietly.

"What are you talking about?"

"You guys saved me. From Mod. I haven't said thank you yet."

A small smile graced my lips. "You know you don't have to apologize for that. We'd always save you."

Robin tucked some of my hair behind my ear. "I'd always save you too." We both blushed.

"A- any of you, I mean." Robin clarified, dropping his hand and looking away.

"Right. Obviously."

It was awkward for a few minutes, then Robin stood up. "I'm hungry. What about you? Want me to make you something."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to." Robin smiled at me. "You just saved my life. The least I can do is make you a sandwich."

I nodded and followed him into the kitchen. We didn't actually eat sandwiches- he had a granola bar and I ate an apple. While we were hungry, it was still Thanksgiving. And Cyborgs Thanksgiving dinners were always amazing.

"We should take Starfire to her room." Robin thought out loud. "Or at least wake her up."

"Why?"

"Because it's been over half an hour and Beast boy and Cyborg aren't back yet."

I shuddered; those two must have been planning something big.

"Star?" Robin walked over to her and gently shook her shoulder. She turned her head but didn't wake up. "C'mon Star." Robin eased Danny's head off her lap and picked her up, one hand under her knees and one supporting her neck. He looked at me. "Let's go find those trouble makers."

We found the two in Cyborgs room, cackling evilly over Cyborg's computer.

"What are you doing?" I groaned. They jumped and turned around.

"Just the best prank in the history of EVER!" Beast boy laughed and pumped a fist in the air. Cyborg fist bumped him.

"Is Thanksgiving really an appropriate time for pranks?" Robin wanted to know.

The two shrugged. "It's _Pranksgiving_ now." Cy exclaimed.

"Why am I friends with you?" I rubbed my temples.

Cyborg typed something into his computer then turned around. "Ok, we're done now- just gotta wait. Video games?"

Robin shook his head. "Danny's still sleeping in there. I don't want to wake him- he maxed himself out."

"In here then." Cyborg gestured to one of the computer screens in his room. "It's not as big as what we're used to, but it'll work."

"I'll pass." I sat on the ground and pulled out a book."

"You can watch Starfire." Robin gently set the alien princess on the ground next to me. I just rolled my eyes.

For an hour or two the boys played video games (the profanity they use as murdering each others avatars is actually quite impressive), I read, and Starfire snored.

"What time is it?" BB asked absently as he ran away from Cyborgs avatar.

"Three." Robin and Cyborg said at the same time.

"Really!?" Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other, dropped their controllers, and ran out of the room.

"Does that mean you won?" I asked Robin, confused. Robin shrugged, leaning back on the floor and lacing his fingers behind his head.

"This was a weird Thanksgiving."

"No duh. Which reminds me." I leaned over my friend. "What was it like being 80 something years old?"

"I will never take my youth for granted again." Robin smiled. "It was creepy. That one will definitely keep me up for a few nights."

"I think Starfire thought we could have fixed you with an iron," I joked. "Just smooth out all the wrinkles."

Robin wrinkled his nose. "That sounds incredibly painful."

"Little bit."

Robin yawned and stretched his arms. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Good. Let's see if Cyborg finished dinner yet."

I poked Starfire's cheek. "Should we bring her or-"

"Just leave her." Robin stood and helped me to my feet. "She's tired- if she gets hungry she'll know where to find us. Otherwise we should let her sleep."

I nodded and followed him to the kitchen. When we got there, I almost screamed.

There were snakes. _Everywhere._

Hanging from the ceiling, covering the walls, and they carpeted every inch of the floor. Most of them were plastic, but I saw more than enough of them actually moving around and hissing.

"Beast Boy!" Cyborg was whisper yelling. "I said _plastic snakes only!_ SO WHY ARE THERE LIVE SNAKES HERE!"

"Not my fault!" BB huffed. "The website said life like!"

"BUT THEY'RE ALIVE!"

"CYBORG!" Robin yelled, then clamped a hand over his mouth. We all risked a look at the couch, but Danny was still out cold. With a glare, Robin motioned BB and Cy over to us.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Robin ground out.

"We wanted to mess with Danny." Beast Boy's voice was small. "And... well..."

Cyborg huffed and crossed his arms. "Beast Boy over here said that Danny had something against snakes, and suggested we get a ton of plastic ones to hide all over the tower. But _someone_ decided to order ACTUAL SNAKES INSTEAD!"

"I THOUGHT THEY WERE FAKE!" BB yelled.

"WE HAVE A HUNDRED SNAKES SLITHERING AROUND THE TOWER NOW!"

"AND THAT'S MY FAULT?"

"YES! YOU BOUGHT THEM!"

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"LIVE SNAKES BB! LIVE FREAKIN' SNAKES!"

"Guys?" I stepped in. The didn't hear me.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TOO!" Beast Boy turned from Cyborg. "BUT WHATEVER! SORRY I MADE A SMALL MISTAKE!"

" _SMALL?_ " Shouted Cyborg. "Beast Boy, we have ONE HUNDRED LIVE SNAKES CRAWLING AROUND OUR LIVING ROOM AND-"

Robin coughed. "Help?" he asked a little awkwardly. A snake had wrapped itself around his ankle and didn't seem to want to let go. Cyborg rolled his eyes and bent down to pull it off.

I smacked them both.

"What was that for!?" BB pouted.

"How do you know Danny has something against snakes?" I demanded.

"Well... I uh..."

"How do you know?"

BB looked at the ground sheepishly. "I turned into one and he freaked out. A lot."

I narrowed my eyes. "So then what part of this," I gestured to the snake filled room around me. "Seemed like a good idea?"

"I thought it would be funny?"

"Funny is putting one small, plastic snake under his pillow." Robin said tightly. "This? This is seriously going to freak him out. We should get ride of them before he-"

A suddenly yelp from the couch cut Robin off. I almost gave myself whiplash as I spun to see Danny sitting up, stock still, pale and sweating, as three snakes slithered around his body.

"Help. Please." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Stay still." Robin said, suddenly panicked. "All three of those snakes are poisonous."

Danny's breath hitched in his throat, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"You bought _poisonous_ snakes?" I smacked Beast boy again. Slowly, all four of us made our way over to Danny. The poor kid looked ready to pass out; a snake curled up on his shoulder. Another rested around his wrist and the last one was making its way up Danny's thigh.

"Get. Them. Off." Danny practically whimpered.

I used my powers to remove the snake around Danny's wrist, Robin went after the one on his shoulder, and the two idiots behind the whole mess took care of the last one. As soon as Danny was safe, he jumped off of the couch and sprinted out of the room, faster than I'd ever seen him run.

"He's going to kill you." I told BB and Cy before following Danny. I found him in the hall, breathing heavily and brushing his arms off as if the snakes were still on him.

"You ok?" I turned and saw Robin walking towards us.

"That. Was. Not. Ok." Danny hissed.

"I know." Robin agreed. "That was stupid of them. But in their defense."

"SAVE IT!" Danny held a hand up. "I don't care what they were trying to do! I hate... I seriously can't... Gah!" He turned and ran away from us. I could feel the anxiety and frustration radiating off of him.

"I'm going to talk to him." Robin told me. "Do me a favor and help them clean up the living room?"

I nodded and watched as Robin sprinted off to find Danny.

I walked into the living room and glared at Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"You guys are in _so_ much trouble.


	9. Geeking out- Danny

Chapter Nine Danny

I couldn't breathe. Oh My God I was going to die. What was wrong with me? God there had been so many snakes. They could have killed me! What if they _had_ killed me?! What was Beast Boy thinking? Oh My God I couldn't breathe I was going to pass out or be sick or both or-

"Danny." A hand settled on my shoulder. I looked up- since when was I sitting?- and saw Robin looking down at me.

"What-"

"Breathe." Robin instructed. "You're going to be fine."

"I- I can't I just-" I gasped. What was wrong with me? Had I gotten bitten? Was I hallucinating?

"You're alright Danny." Robin promised. "Listen to my voice alright?" I listened. "Have you ever had a panic attack before?"

"N- no I-"

"It's alright. Breathe. Keep listening. What you're experiencing right now- it's normal. Keep breathing, focus on my voice. You're ok. You aren't going to die. This is normal. Don't panic- keep breathing. Keep listening."

I put all my energy into what Robin was saying. Panic attack? What had set it off? Why was it normal? And God why couldn't I breathe? My stomach lurched and I gagged.

"You aren't going to be sick." Robin assured me. "It's just your mind playing tricks. You're ok. Deep breathes. That's right, you're doing good Danny. It won't last much longer, ok? You're alright. Deep breath. Breathe in for 8 seconds, hold for two, out for seven. Good. In for 8, hold for two, out for seven. It's almost over Danny, you're doing good. It's ok. Good."

A few minutes later, my breathing evened and my thoughts cleared. I felt completely drained, but I didn't think I was going to pass out any more. I lifted my head from the floor; Robin was still sitting next to me.

"Better?" He asked.

I nodded. "What was that?"

Robin offered a sympathetic smile. "A panic attack."

My cheeks heated up. "I don't get those." I blurted. "I don't have anxiety or anything."

"You don't need to have anxiety to get an attack." Robin helped me sit against the wall. "I'd say it was a mix of not eating enough, not having enough sleep lately, the physical exertion you put yourself through, and the snakes."

I shuddered. "Is that possible?"

"Sure." Robin moved so he was sitting next to me. "And trust me, I know how much they suck."

I looked at him. "How do you know so much about this?"

Robin's eyes widened slightly and he blushed, turning his face away. "I uh... I've just read-" I just looked at him. He sighed in defeat. "If I tell you, will you swear not to tell the other titans?"

"Sure."

Robin hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "I... I have them all the time. I have since I was a kid- I just never grew out of them. It's annoying as heck, but I can't really do much about it."

My eyes widened. "You- really?"

"Yeah." Robin leaned his head back on the wall. "I know- lame. Robin the Boy wonder is pretty weak. I know."

I shook my head. "You aren't weak. Having to deal with that and _still_ being the bad ass leader you are today? That takes strength."

Robin blinked at me. "You-... You are the only one who's ever said that."

I lifted a shoulder. "It's true. I mean those are scary- how do you deal?"

"I just... try not to think about it. I tell myself what I told you."

"Does that help?"

"Not really. But I don't have time to focus on it so I don't let it stop me."

I looked at the carpet. "I lied."

"What?"

"I said I don't get panic attacks... I lied." Robin turned to look at me, but I kept talking. "I got them a lot when I was younger, but I grew out of them. The last one I had was when I was seven. My parents were arguing about something or another, and it scared me."

Robin nodded. "Yeah. That used to happen to me too. I just wish mine would stop."

"How often do you get them?" I questioned. It was a personal question, but it was something Robin and I shared; and we'd both kept it a secret. It felt nice to know I wasn't the only one who had- or still did have to- deal with this. Even Liz hadn't known that I used to have attacks; only my parents and Jazz did.

"Every few days, sometimes more if I'm stressed."

My jaw hit the floor. "You deal with them _that often?_ "

"Yeah... I know... It makes me pretty weak right?" Robin dragged a hand over his face. "But I just can't change it."

"Dude!" I playfully punched his arm. "That makes you so strong! I don't know how I could live if I had to do that! And the fact that people can't tell? Robin, you're strong."

Robin looked at me for a long time, then smiled. "Thanks Danny. I mean it. Thanks."

"Any time."

Robin stood up and offered me his hand. "Come on."

I let him help me up. "Where are we going?"

"My room." Robin pulled me up and we walked down the hall. "I find that movies, popcorn, and chocolate always make me feel better after an attack."

"Ok."

"And besides-" Robin looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I always get nightmares after I have an attack."

"Me too."

"Which means you get to sleep in my room tonight- I don't want you in some random room in the tower where we can't find you."

I looked at the ground. Robin- maybe he wasn't so bad. We were honestly pretty alike.

"Any movie requests?" Robin asked as we walked into the kitchen. The room had been cleared of snakes, and no one else was there. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I don't really care."

"We could watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Robin joked as he placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

"I will break your nose if you suggest that ever again. That was totally your fault too."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "What was my fault?"

"The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And the fact that they seem to be stalking me now. It wasn't like that until you gave me those stupid pajama pants."

Robin snickered. "That was so not my fault- it was the only thing I had to give you."

"You couldn't have given me anything else? Power rangers would have been better!"

"Why would I have Power Ranger pajamas?"

"Why would you have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas!?"

"Because TMNT rocks!"

"Dude!" I shook my head. "I stopped watching that when I was like, five."

Robin scoffed. "Whatever. You know you love them."

"I'd literally take any other cartoon over them."

"Good thing I didn't give you Pokemon pajamas..."

I crossed my arms. "Seriously? Pokemon?"

"You don't like them either? Dude, what kind of childhood did you have!?"

"A normal one!"

Robin laughed, pouring the freshly popped popcorn into a bowl. "Normal childhoods are filled with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Pokemon, and Fairly Odd Parents."

"That's it, you are officially disowned."

"Pfft, you can't disown me!"

"Fairly Odd Parents? I can _totally_ disown you."

"I disown you for not liking any of them!" He flicked a piece of popcorn at me as we walked down to his room.

"Excuse me, but my childhood was filled with Spongebob."

Robin stopped in the hall and spun to look at me. "That's it, you are no longer allowed in this tower, get out."

I raised my hands in defense. "Seriously? You don't like Spongebob? Robin... why?"

"A talking yellow square, a dumb pink star, a moody octopus, and a kung fu squirrel? Yeah, I'll pass."

"Yet you're fine with mutated turtles?"

"I'm special like that."

He laughed, and I let out a half laugh with him- the first one in over half a year. "Since you are clearly an uncultured child," Robin teased me. "What do you purpose we watch?"

"Avengers?"

Robin wrinkled his nose. "They haven't seen anything I haven't. Next."

In the end we didn't watch a movie at all; we just hung out. Talked about the shows we watched when we were kids ("Robin, how have you _not_ heard of Kim Possible?"), the video games we used to play ("Danny, I'm not talking to you again until you play Sonic the Hedgehog."), and other guy stuff. When Robin didn't have to be a kick ass leader, he was actually a normal teenage guy.

"You need to borrow something to sleep in?" Robin asked. I nodded.

The good news? He didn't give me TMNT. The better news? He gave me Doctor Who pajamas. Doctor Who. This kid is my hero.

Just from that, we got on a whole new conversation about the TV shows we watched now. Doctor Who, Supernatural, and a various array of anime's.

"What do you mean Sam is better than Dean?" I ate another handful of popcorn. "Dean is way cooler!"

"Whatever man- Dean's too overpowering. He's got serious issues too."

"Who doesn't? I mean, the dude went to _Hell._ He was demon not 10 episodes ago!"

Robin laughed. "You know how geeky we are, right?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

He laughed again. "I can't talk about this stuff with the titans; Raven thinks it's stupid, Starfire actually believes it's all real, Cyborg is more interested in cars, food, and girls, and Beast Boy just... doesn't care really. It's nice to be able to geek out like this."

I nodded. "I never had anyone to talk about this stuff with either. I mean, Liz kinda got into some of it, but she obsessed with books and bands more than TV shows."

Robin nodded, then yawned. He looked at his watch and gasped. "Dude, it's already three in the morning."

I rubbed my eyes. "I think I was so tired, my body was too tired to be tired."

"I hear that. This makes what, three days with no sleep?"

"Talent bro. This takes talent."

"We need to sleep." Robin stretched and glanced around his room. "I dunno where you wanna crash but-"

"Bean bag works."

"Sure?"

"Positive."

With that, we both crashed. Robin wasn't wrong- panic attacks lead to some pretty rotten nightmares.

_"Take some pizza dude!" Mikey, from the teenage mutant ninja turtles shoved a slice of pepperoni pizza in my face._

_Currently, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was cornered, I could either open a door that was sending out some seriously creepy vibes, or I could keep getting harassed by TV show characters. The TMNT, Power Rangers, and cast of Fairly Odd Parents were attacking me. Turtles wielding pizza slices are scarier than you think._

_"_ _I wish_ _for_ _more snakes!" Timmy turner yelled. Hundreds of the reptiles appeared behind him._

_"What'd I ever do to you!?" I shouted at the kid. I'd always hated that show; to me it signified when my childhood ended. The time the show started was around when my parents got seriously obsessed with ghosts._

_"IT'S MOUPHING TIME!" One of the power rangers declared, swinging is sword at my face._

_"YOU BELONG ON A KIDS TV SHOW!"_

_"TURLTES, ATTACK!"_

_My back pressed into the wall. "Seriously? SERIOUSLY? You are CARTOON CHARACTERS!"_

_A power ranger swung at me again, clearly annoyed by the fact that they are played by actual actors. To avoid having my head cut off, I ripped the door open, slamming it closed on the pink rangers helmet._

_I paused to catch my breath. When I had it back, I turned to look at the room I was in._

_Four walls were covered in empty picture frames. The room was dark; I couldn't see the other side. My eyes roamed the walls. They were plain white. Hundreds of picture frames hung on them, but there wasn't one picture in any of them- just a blank white space._

_" **Danny.** " _

_My neck snapped up, craning to see who had spoken._

_" **Danny.** " The voice spoke again- painfully familiar. " **Why? I'm so confused... I... Danny?** "_

_"Who's there?" I took a step forward. It was like there was a spot light on me; I was surrounded by a cylinder of pale light._

_The sounds of static filled the air and I jumped. The picture frames I was in front of filled with images that moved- like movies. A closer look showed that they weren't just random little movies- they were some of my favorite memories._

_The first day I met Liz, a food fight Tucker, Sam, Liz and I had taken part in, the snow fight with Liz. But it was strange- I knew that's what the events were. But it was like I was watching them from someone else's perspective._

_Liz's perspective._

_Everything was how I remembered it, but I was seeing it through Liz's eyes. Slowly, I backed away and resumed walking. As I did more and more picture frames blinked in and out of existence; all memories from Liz's point of view. Some were from when she was a little girl- years before I'd ever even met her. He frames would fill with a memory when I passed it, then flicker out and die as I left it behind._

_I started moving faster, urging my feet to move quicker. I ran for years before the room came to an end._

_There was someone in the corner. Their back was to me; they were sitting on a three legged stool, staring at the wall._

_"Danny." The voice wasn't as disoriented as before._

_"Do I know you?"_

_A heard the person- obviously a girl- smirk. I couldn't see anything about her- it was like the light that was following me refused to touch her, or anything else for that matter._

_"I've been asking myself that same question."_

_"Where are we?"_

_"Danny." She repeated. Her voice was painfully familiar, but for the life of me I couldn't think of why. I couldn't place a name or face to the voice._

_I crossed my arms. "Yeah, we've established that's my name. Who are you? Where are we?"_

_Through the dark I could see her hair swing as she turned her head to look at me._

_"I don't know. I don't know anything."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_She scoffed. "I mean, I don't know anything. I do, but I don't. I see things, and then I don't. I hear and feel things, but then they disappear. And I hear this... this painful crying."_

_I raised an eyebrow. Was this girl crazy?_

_"And I..." She stood. "I need Danny."_

_"I'm Danny."_

_She turned, confused. "Danny?" A gasp. "God Danny, why are you here!?"_

_I still couldn't see anything but the outline of her body. "I don't know!"_

_She shook her head and something in her voice changed. It became for confident, more firm. "No Danny, you shouldn't be here! You can't..." Her shoulders slumped and she sat back down on the stool again._

_"I see." Her voice was light, sad, and drifting. "You're another one, right? I know you are- they all have the same face."_

_I touched my cheek self consciously. "What's wrong with my face- what am I one of?"_

_"you're here to torture me again, right?" She pointed to the walls. When I saw what she was pointing at, I fought the urge to vomit._

_The picture frames here were cracked and broken. The walls her splattered with blood._

_"Why are you here? Who's hurting you?" I demanded._

_She sat up straighter. "Danny. I don't understand. You can't be here! Please, you have to get out!"_

_"But where are we?"_

_"It's not safe here!" She said again. "If he sees you here-"_

_"Who? Who are you!?"_

_She collapsed back on the stool. "I don't know. I don't... I need Danny. Danny will help, he'll save me." She shifted. "But I don't know who he is."_

_" **I'm** Danny! You just knew me a minute ago!"_

_She was normal again. "Danny please listen! You have to get out! I don't know what's happening! But please, **please** , get out!"_

_"But I-"_

_She stopped by holding a hand in the air._

_"Wait a second." She stood again. "I get it. You aren't Danny- You aren't real."_

_"I'm Danny! What are you-"_

_"You aren't real." She repeated. "I know why you're here. Patrick, get out."_

_"Patrick? Who-"_

_"I said get out!" She yelled. She took a step towards me, and the light around me shifted away from her. "You're mind games have to stop! Patrick, stop!"_

_She crouched into a ball on the floor, once again becoming the scared and possibly crazy girl. "Just go away..." She whimpered. "I don't understand this... Please... Please go away."_

_"Let me help you! We can get out of here together, come on."_

_Normal girl was back. She stood and I could feel her glaring at me. "Leave. Now."_

_"Seriously, I can-"_

_"Shut up and listen to me. You aren't Danny. You aren't him. He wouldn't do this- he wouldn't cause this," she gestured to the room. "Danny wouldn't do this to me. So stop hiding behind his face. Do what you came here to do."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about!" I insisted. "I swear I don't! Honest." I took a shaky breath. "Let's try this again. I'm Danny Fenton. I can help you."_

_"Like hell you can."_

_"What's your name?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"Where are we?"_

_"I don't know."_

_I sighed in exasperation. "Why are you scared of me?"_

_She huffed. "I'm not."_

_"Then what are you scared of!?"_

_"Nothing."_

_I glared at her for a moment. "Why can't I see you?"_

_"You aren't supposed to see me. Danny is. Only him. And I need to tell him." She crouched again. "God I never got to tell him."_

_My brain strained to think of why I knew her voice. Mom? No... Sam? Nope... Maybe Jazz? Uhg! Who was she?_

_"What didn't you tell him?"_

_The scared girl was back. "I don't know." She whispered. "But I hear it- the laughter, the tears, the pain. They echo here. The guilt, relief, suffering, and happiness. It's all here- everything. And I didn't tell him. He doesn't hear it."_

_I tilted my head. "I don't hear anything."_

_She sucked in a breath and raised her head. "you don't?"_

_"No..."_

_She turned her head, looking around the room. "How do you not hear it?"_

_I sat down on the ground. "What do you hear?"_

_Something compelled me to leave. Something in my gut tugged at me, screaming to turn and run. But I stayed on the ground. There was something about this girl- I needed answers. So what if I didn't know where I was?_

_"I hear," she paused and tilted her head to listen. "I hear it. Cries. Pleas. It's not happy today. It's panicked. He's screaming."_

_"Who is?"_

_"Him."_

_"Danny?"_

_She shook her head. "No. Danny's not screaming. But I hear it: "Danny! Danny!" And it won't stop."_

_"Why is someone yelling that?"_

_"Danny..." She mused. "It's always Danny. 'Wake up Danny', 'calm down Danny', 'I love you Danny'," She paused. "I love Danny."_

_"The voice is screaming 'I love Danny'?"_

_"No." She shook her head. " **I** love Danny."_

_I shook my head. What was wrong with this girl?_

_"I see it too."_

_I raised my head. "You see what?"_

_"Two boys. One's dead. The other is screaming; 'Danny!' 'Danny!'. It's dark. There are alarms. People are running. He's shaking. He's not opening his eyes."_

_" **DANNY!** " The voice- a new one this time- cut through the air like a knife. I jumped._

_The girl nodded. "You can hear it too. 'Danny, Danny'." She leaned on the stool, tracing patterns on it with her finger. "They say he's not waking up. They say they can't wake him up. They're scared."_

_I didn't hear anything, but my heart rate was speeding up. "How do you know this?"_

_She sighed, rolled into her back, and let her feet dangle in the air. "You need to go now."_

_"Go? Where?"_

_"Back."_

_"Back where?"_

_The normal girl returned, jumping to her feet. I stood too, frightened by her sudden mood change._

_"Patrick. This is over now. I know how to get you out of here."_

_"I'm not-" And then she stepped into the light. She was still a shadow- I couldn't see anything about her. Not her face of clothes or anything. She stopped in front of me and put a hand on my neck, a smile on her lips._

_"You can torture me here forever Patrick. But not him- not Danny. Now leave."_

_"I'm not going to just leave you here!"_

_She frowned. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way."_

_Suddenly, a laugh filled the room. The sound of shattering glass filled my ears; more picture frames cracked and exploded._

_"Smart girl!" An evil voice hissed. "But unfortunately, not smart enough. This is our dear Danny hear- consider it a gift."_

_"Gift?" I turned, trying to find the speaker. "From who?"_

_"The king."_

_The girl gasped, grabbing my arm. "Danny?"_

_"Duh!"_

_She hook her head. "Oh God no. Patrick, what did you do!? No... Danny I need to tell you-" she chocked._

_Suddenly, the girl could be seen. Her clothes were white, torn, and bloody. Her skin was pale, her hair was brown. And she had a knife in her stomach._

_A boy smirked behind her, holding the knife- it went all the way through her stomach from the back, far enough that there were a few inches still sticking out. The boy had black hair and dark brown eyes._

_"Danny," I looked into her pain filled eyes._

_"Sorry Lizzie," The boy laughed, pulling the knife back out. "But a job's a job."_

_I reached out and caught her as she began to fall. "Liz," I breathed._

_Her green eyes met mine. "Danny," she breathed. "I-" Her eyes flashed red._

_Liz cut me. Her eyes turned red, she grabbed the boys knife, and slashed it across my cheek. The boy laughed. Until she turned on him. She stabbed the knife into his chest, though he didn't seem to feel it._

_"Really Lizzie?" He crossed his arms, the knife disappeared._

_She glared at him._

_"Who's Lizzie?"_


	10. Love's a gift

Chapter 10 Raven

Robin should thank his lucky stars I wasn't sleeping. Alarms woke me up far too often. I was just reading on my bed (yes, at 4 in the morning) when red lights flashed.

I was about to change into my clothes when I realized that this alarm wasn't announcing a robbery or something. It was saying something was happening _in the tower._ In Robin's room to be exact.

"RAVEN!" A mental fist pounded my door. Cyborg poked his head in. "Come on!" He snapped.

I ran after him, my other team mates on out heels. Robin was crouched over his bean bag, yelling.

"What's wrong?" BB asked.

Robin turned and jumped up, unmasked eyes wide.

"It- I don't get it-"

"Slow down," Cyborg held a hand up. "What happened?"

Robin pointed to his bean bag chair. Danny was curled up on his side.

His chest wasn't moving.

"He was shouting something in his sleep," Robin explained and Cyborg ran to Danny's side. "It woke me up. I tried waking him up but-"

"DANNY!" Beast Boy shook his shoulders.

"Please awaken!" Starfire tried. She gasped in horror and backed away.

"What the-" Cyborg looked down at Danny. A thin train of red appeared on his cheek, like he had been cut.

"Move," I pushed everyone away. I placed a hand of Danny's fore head, trying to get a feel for what was going on inside his head. "Something's keeping him locked inside," I muttered. "He's not dead... not really... but something-"

Suddenly Danny sat bolt upright, gasping and sweating.

"DANNY!" Came the startled shouts of my friends.

"I... water..." Danny panted, standing up and shaking his arms out as if he needed to get something off of them. Starfire nodded, and scurried off to get him a glass of water.

"Calm down Danny," Robin put a hand on Danny's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Danny nodded and took a deep breath. The ghost boy sat back down on the bean bag and dragged a hand over his face.

"Am I bleeding?" He asked quietly when his palm came away red.

"Yeah." Cyborg handed him a Kleenex. "Wanna tell us what happened?"

Starfire came back and handed Danny his drink. Danny swallowed gratefully.

"I... I don't really know." Danny rubbed a hand over his eyes. "It was... just a really weird dream I guess..."

I scoffed. "Dreams don't make you stop breathing."

He looked surprised. "What?"

"You stopped breathing."

"No I didn't."

"Yeah, actually," I folded my arms over my chest. "You did. So quit lying, and tell us what this 'weird dream' was about."

"I don't want to."

"Too bad."

"No, Raven. I'm not going to say anything."

I narrowed my eyes. "You almost died. I think you need to start talking." Danny shook his head. "I don't know how many different ways I could possibly say no Raven. I'm not talking about it."

Beast Boy sat down next to him. "Look dude, I get that the dream must have been bad but-"

"But _what?"_ Danny sneered. "I am not reliving that. Besides, it's too early for this. I just wanna go back to sleep-"

"So you can die again?" I snapped. Danny glared at me.

"Excuse me?"

"You keep trying to die on us, ever since the first time we met. Do you get a kick out of near death experiences?"

"Raven," Robin hissed.

Danny just glared me me, and pushed his way out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I called angrily.

"To get some air!" He snapped back.

I stepped to follow him, but Robin held me back. "That was harsh." He scolded me.

"What?"

"Let him go, he needs to relax."

I opened my mouth to argue, but ended up yawning instead. Danny hadn't been wrong- it was way to early to deal with this stuff. Robin gave me a knowing smile. "Go back to bed," he told me. "Danny will talk when he's ready."

I suddenly became aware of how everyone looked. PJ's weren't really how I was used to seeing my team mates. Robin almost looked like a normal teenager without his mask, decked in a t-shirt and sweat pants. Beast boy was just in his boxers- awkward- and Starfire was in a dress of a shirt, her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head.

My cheeks heated up when Robin looked at me. It had been a warm night for the time of year, so I was in my boy shorts and a tank top.

"Night," and I turned and stalked out of the room, running the rest of the way to my room.

Everyone else did the same. I was about to fall asleep almost an hour later when I heard footsteps passing my door.

"Starfire?" Robin's voice was muffled as it traveled through my door. The footsteps stopped.

"Yes?" Starfire replied. I stepped towards my door and peeked out to see what was going on.

Starfire was a few feet away from my door, looking behind at where Robin leaned against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Robin questioned.

"Checking on friend Danny."

Robin sighed. "Star, didn't you hear me-"

"I do not wish to acquire information from him." Starfire cut him off. "I wish only to keep him company- it seems he requires this more than ever."

Robin looked at her for a minute, then smiled. "Alright, fine. I'll go with you."

I watched the two until the disappeared around the corner.

_Sure. You can see him, but I can't. Hypocrite._

Bitterly, I opened my door and followed the pair to the elevator. I knew they'd know I was spying if I took the elevator, or I scaled the stairs instead. When I reached the roof, I stopped in the doorway, cracking the door only slightly so I could see and hear.

"Why are you here?" I heard Danny's tired voice ask.

"To keep you company." Starfire informed him. He was standing at the railing of the tower, leaning on the bar and watching the waves as the sun began to inch its way up. She stood next to him and copied his stance.

"Why?" Danny asked, confused.

"Because that is what friends are for." Starfire smiled, setting her head on Danny's shoulder. I expected Danny to shove her off, or yell or something, but he just looked down at her and smiled slightly.

"Thanks..." he said quietly. Robin joined them on Danny's other side.

"It's pretty," my leader commented. "The sunrise."

"That's not why I came out here." said Danny. "I came to look at the stars. They... they remind me of her."

Robin nodded, not pushing the subject. It was a pretty time of day- stars could still be seen even though the sun was slowly peeking out from the horizon. The three stood there, Star with her head on Danny's shoulder and Danny and Robin just standing, watching the stars fade and sun rise. The trio started yawning and sat on the ground, still watching.

After a while, Starfire fell asleep, still leaning on Danny. The boys just remained sitting in comfortable silence.

"So," Robin said, turning to Danny. "Wanna talk to me about what happened?"

Danny sighed, running a hand though his hair. "Do I have too?"

"Do you have any idea how bad you scared me?" Robin tried to sound amused, but his eyes showed how worried he was. "The sheer panic you caused me should be reason enough for you to talk to me."

"It doesn't make sense..."

"Does anything in our lives?"

Danny smirked- about the closest he had come to _truly_ smiling or laughing as he had yet.

"It was... Liz." Robin and I both perked up at that.

"What about her?"

"It was... she was in my dream. I didn't know it at first, but it was her. She was so... distraught. She would be fine one second, and the next it was like she didn't even know who she was. She kept saying that she hadn't told Danny- me, I mean- something. She was upset about it, and she was dead set on needing me. She kept mentioning my name... then when I said I was Danny, she got confused. When she was normal, she yelled at me to get out and go back. When she was... _weird,_ she begged me not to torture her."

Robin cocked his head to the side. "Not to torture her?"

Danny nodded. "the walls were covered in blood- it was disgusting. Anyway, she kept saying I was Patrick, and that I had to stop."

Robin twisted his mouth to the side as he processed what Danny had told him. "Do you know anyone named Patrick?"

"No. Never met anyone named Patrick, never heard of anyone named Patrick- nothing. And then it got weirder. This kid with long black hair and brown eyes stabbed her."

Robin choked. " _Stabbed_ her?"

"Yeah. Long blade. It went all the way through her, a couple of inches more actually. The Liz's eyes flashed red, she cut me, and I woke up."

Robin blinked. "That's-"

"Weird? Psychotic? Yeah, tell me about it. The black haired dude said I was a gift for Liz. And what was weirder- he kept calling her Lizzie- telling her he was just doing his job."

"Maybe it was your sub-conscious?" Robin suggested. "You've been through a lot these past few days; no sleep, no food, constant battle, panic attacks, and now this? The blood may have symbolized that. The man may have been to show all the drama and struggles you've been dealing with lately- which also explains why he stabbed Liz. Maybe Liz represented something too?"

"Like what?"

Robin pondered the question. "Maybe she represented herself. Maybe seeing her die again is your mind finally accepting that she's gone? The dude said you were a gift right? Maybe that actually means it was a gift to know her and have the time you spent together, and it's a gift knowing she's better off."

Danny sighed. "Yeah... Yeah maybe. Thanks Robin."

Robin just smiled and turned back to the rising sun.

"She loved you..." Starfire muttered sleepily. Danny and Robin looked down at her in surprise. Her eyes were half open as she looked up at Danny.

"Perhaps it meant your love was just as much a gift to her as it was for you."

"You think my love was a gift?"

Starfire nodded. "Just your friendship is a most wonderful gift, I cannot imagine how wonderful it was for her to receive love from you."

Danny grinned. "Thanks Star."

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, and Danny blushed. I looked at Robin, expecting jealously, but he just watched with a content smile on his face. He didn't seem to care that the girl he's been crushing on forever had just kissed a boy who wasn't him.

Had Robin gotten a new crush?

Starfire wrapped her arms around Danny's neck, and closed her eyes again.

"We should probably go back inside," said Robin. "It's November- it might get pretty cold."

Danny nodded, standing up with Starfire in his arms.

"Let's take her to bed," he said. "I don't want to wake her up."

Robin nodded, and they walked towards the elevator.

After Starfire was tucked into her bed- it took a bit of work to detach her arms from Danny- the boys crashed in Robins room again.

I walked back to my room, trying to ignore the bitterness in my stomach. Why was Star so close to Danny? Why didn't he talk to me? If anyone understood dark and brooding, it was me. Why didn't Danny see that?

I rolled my eyes and flopped onto my bed, closing my eyes. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

Flashing lights and an alarm woke me up. But almost as soon as it started, it stopped. I looked out the window- I hadn't been asleep for long because the sky was still dark. Lighter than it had been last time, but still dark.

Running footsteps passed my door, so I followed.

"Where are you going Robin?" I asked, stepping out of my room and seeing him round the corner, decked out in his hero costume.

"Johnny Rancid is back," He said. "I'm going to go take care of him."

I crossed my arms. "Did you turn the alarm off?"

"Yeah. Don't need help- you guys need to rest."

"Robin-"

His eyes scanned my figure. "Besides, I don't think you wanna fight like that." My cheeks burned. "Keep everyone here," He said, turning away. "I'll be back soon."

He wasn't back soon. He wasn't back for a while. We were all sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast, and he still hadn't come home yet.

"Ok," Beast Boy leaned forward, a competitive smirk on his face. "Five whole eggs."

Cyborg scoffed. "Cake."

"Bring it on," Danny agreed. On the count of three, all of the boys shoveled five eggs (or whatever tofu thing Beast Boy was eating) into their mouths.

"Hubby hully!" BB tried. Starfire shook her head no.

"Shuddy buy!" Cy grinned. Starfire shook her head.

"Chubby bunny." Danny said arrogantly. Starfire clapped and nodded.

"How!?" BB demanded. "How can you do that?"

"Practice!" Danny swallowed and leaned back in his chair. "My dad- er, Jack and I used to play all the time. My sister thought it was stupid, but Maddie thought it was funny."

Suddenly, the shrill of the phone cut through the air. Cyborg stood and answered it.

"Hello?" His face hardened as he listened. "I'll be right there."

He all looked at him. "What happened?" I asked.

"The fight with Johnny went bad," Cyborg informed us.

Chairs fell as everyone jumped to their feet.

"What happened, where's Robin? What did he do?" BB rattled off questions.

"Shut up," Cyborg snapped. "I gotta go, alright?" he grabbed the keys to the T-car and headed for the door.

"Hold on-" I stepped in front of him. "Where are you going?"

"Yeah," Danny said, absently scratching at his green cast. "What happened."

Cyborg sighed. "There was an accident. I'm going to pick up Robin from the hospital."


	11. Fractured- Danny

Chapter eleven Danny

"Let me get this straight," I looked down at Robin. "You went without us on a mission, almost got in a car crash," Robin slouched deeper into the couch. "Fell off your cycle doing 90 on the freeway _in the rain_ ," He rubbed the scrapes covering his arm. "And then drove up the bridge- not _on_ the bridge but actually _up the support beams_ \- and crashed. You crashed ON THE BRIDGE SUPPORT BEAMS, fell 30 something feet into traffic, _got hit by three cars_ , and all that you broke was your arm?"

Robin dragged a hand over his face. "Yeah, pretty much."

"No fractures, no concussions, no _anything_ \- just a broken arm?"

"If it makes you feel better," Robin winced slightly as he shifted positions. "I definitely _feel_ like I got hit by three cars."

Raven scoffed and put her glowing hands on Robins back. "I've done everything I can," She started.

"Oh no!" Beast boy jumped up in her face, "No, don't say that!"

"Why?" Raven raised an eye brow.

"That's what they say in the movies when the patient is about to die! Is Robin going to die! NO! Robin can't die!" He hugged Raven. "Can't you do anything more! We can't lose him!"

"Beast Boy-" Robin tried to cut him off.

"Shhh!" BB covered Robins mouth. "Don't speak, you poor wounded child. Save your strength. DON'T die Robin!" Robin rolled his eyes. "YOU CAN'T DIE! STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT! OH THE WORLD WAS TOO CRUEL FOR SUCH A FRAGILE SOUL SUCH AS THIS!"

"He got hit by three cars," I pointed out. "I don't think he's 'fragile'."

Beast boy didn't listen- he kept proclaiming that Robin couldn't die. Finally, Cyborg pulled the green teen off our leader, and held his mouth closed.

"As I was saying," Raven turned back to Robin. "I've done everything I can, but you're still going to have to wear that cast for a few weeks. But, it will heal, and you'll be fine."

Robin growled, leaning his head back on the couch. "I can't believe this!" He snapped. "How could I make such a stupid mistake?"

"Please," Starfire placed her hand on his shoulder. "No more Robin yelling at Robin."

"Yeah man," Cyborg agreed. "Stop kicking yourself. Accidents happen."

"Not to me they don't." Robin countered.

Beast boy looked at me, then my cast. His eyes lit up. "Dude! I know just how to cheer you up!" he jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to Robin. "We all have to sign your-" He pulled the marker in is hands away from Robin's cast when he saw the look he was getting. "Or not..."

"Look guys," Robin said as he stood. "Thanks for the concern but-"

"NO!" All the titans shouted, jumping on Robin and pinning him to the couch.

I blinked- what was _that_ about?

"You are in no position to be pursuing the Johnny Rancid!" Starfire exclaimed.

"I know," Robin looked at me for an explanation. "I was just going to grab the TV remote."

"You mean," BB started.

"You aren't gonna be all crazy determined," Cy continued.

"And insist you are fine when you so clearly are not," Starfire slowly let go of Robin arm.

"And yell at us when we try to make you stay home?" Raven finished.

"You guys can handle Rancid without me." Robin sighed. "Besides, with this on my arm I'd probably just mess up again."

"Robin," I took a step towards him.

"Go-" he ignored me. "Take him down. I'll be just fine on my-" He stopped and went ridged.

"Robin?" Starfire stepped closer to him as he dropped the remote. He was stiff but jerking around as if he were in pain. Suddenly, a huge blob of skin formed on his forehead, and jumped off, turning into a very small man.

"YAY!" The little man said in a high pitched voice. "I made it! Robin, HI!"

Everyone's jaw hit the floor.

"Didn't see that one coming..." Raven commented.

"Who are _you?_ " Robin demanded, staring with wide eyes at the creature that had exploded from his head.

"I'm you!"

Everyone looked at the man in silence. He _looked_ like Robin, more or less. He had the same insane costume, gelled hair, basically everything. He was, however, the size of an American girl doll, and was way more round than our Robin.

But, as a DNA scan proved, he was Robin. Literally.

"Perfect match," Cyborg said in confusion.

"WE'RE DNA BUDDY'S!" The man squealed, poncing around the living room. "YAY!"

"You have _got_ to be kidding." Robin groaned.

We watched as Robin Jr ran around, throwing everything out of the cupboards, opening and closing the sliding door multiple times, _taking a bite out of the couch;_ the dude even started surfing one of Ravens books. Did I mention that he could fly?

Starfire laughed, but Robin rolled his eyes. "If someone was trying to clone me, they didn't do a very good job."

"Just be grateful he's the same gender as you." I scoffed, thinking to Dani and Leon. Robin looked at me strangely, but before he could comment, Robin Jr jumped up in his face.

" _No!_ Not a clone! I'm you! Another you! From another universe!" With every word he spit on Robin.

Robin Jr lifted a finger, which lit up, and suddenly he was on a tricycle, riding into a diagram that was the side of our wall.

"ALL THE WAY FROM DIMENSION 4 AND NINE EIGHTS, ROBINS DOUBLE, DNA BUDDY AND NUMBER ONE FAN! NOSYARG KCID!"

"Welcome to our universe, small amusing doppelganger!" Starfire said brightly, hugging Nosyarg Kcid. Kcid smiled and literally melted.

"Yeah!" BB agreed. "Nice to meet you Nosey... Nuzzy... Ya know, why don't we just call you Larry?"

"My name is Larry now! YAY!" Larry jumped up and began running around, saying his new name over and over again. "Larry, Larry! LARRY!" He called through a megaphone. "Larry!" He laughed as he rowed a canoe through the air. "MR. LARRY! Hi Larry, how you doing?" He rapidly shook BB's hand. "Larry!" He said in a french accent as he kissed Starfire's hand. He then proceeded to appear in Raven's cloak, and in various parts of Cyborg, all while screaming his name.

"Yeah..." Cyborg said slowly. "How'd you do all that stuff you just did?"

Larry pointed his finger to the sky, smiling as it lit up. "Magic finger!" He said proudly. "Bends the rules of reality!" He showed us by turning his finger into a saw, a screwdriver, and then a red crayon. He then drew us a comic book, which expanded to cover the entire room.

"See, Larry's universe is here!" He pointed to the first picture of the comic book. "And Robin's is here. And I bend the rules so I can watch my hero Robin beat all the bad guys all the time!" The pictures matched what he was saying. "But when he got hurt, I knew Larry could help! So I decided to pop on over! But a goofed and popped over inside your noggin!" He shrugged. "Oops!"

"Yeah," Robin deadpanned. "'oops'"

"Alternate universes?" Beast boy asked. "Bending reality? GAH! All this science is hurting my brain!"

Larry flew up to Beast Boy's head, opened it like a box, and put a band-aid on his brain.

I _really_ didn't need to see what Beast Boy's brain looked like. Or anyone's brain for the matter. None the less, BB sighed in content.

"See?" Larry flew towards Robin. "Larry's here to help!" He pointed at Robin. "Now watch me fix that arm!" Robin's fingers glowed, and his arm was replaced with a hockey stick. He yelped and everyone looked at him in horror.

"oops!" Larry said with a sheepish laugh. Robin glared at him, and sirens began to wail.

"It's Johnny Rancid." Cyborg informed us. "Down town."

Robin looked at his hockey stick arm, and then at his team. "Just. Go." He snapped. The titans ran off, but I stayed behind..

"I've already fought a guy named Johnny on a motor cycle more than enough times. I'll stay here, if you want."

Robin cast a sideways glance at Larry, who turned a fruit bowl into a giant spider, and shuddered. "Left alone with him? No. Thanks for staying with me."

And so we sat down to watch TV. It was evening, and the titans had still yet to return. Nothing good was on, so Robin and I were just channel surfing. We passed the cooking channel, a zombie movie, a wrestling match, but nothing was decent to watch. Besides, I was too distracted to watch TV.

Every time Robin flipped the channel, Larry tried to fix his arm. It went from being a hockey stick to a candy cane, to an accordion, to an elephants truck, to a live fish, to a crab claw, and then back to normal. Robin no longer even seemed to care. He just kept his eyes glued to the TV screen as Larry let out multiple announcements of 'oops'.

When Robin's arm was back to normal, he smiled. "YAY! Alright, this time I'll get it just right!"

Robin held up a hand to stop him. "Let's just let it heal on it's own. Danny and I can be cast buddy's."

I knew Robin didn't _actually_ want to be cast buddy's, but we both knew it would be something to shut Larry up and get him to calm down. The reality bender pouted, but didn't ask again.

"Wanna check in on the team with your communicator?" He asked, making Robin's communicator appear.

"They're fine." Robin said.

"Oh!" A computer floated between Robin and I. "I bet you want to monitor the mission by computer!"

"Not really."

"Wanna patch up your R Cycle?"

"No thanks."

"Wanna work out?"

"No."

"Clean your utility belt?"

"No."

"Alphabetize your crime files? Polish your boomerangs? Iron your cape?"

Robin rolled his eyes, tossing aside the papers, weapons and capes that had rained down on top of him. "No, no, _no!"_

"Just let me fix your arm!" Larry begged, jumping on Robin. The two crashed into me, and suddenly we were wrestling on the floor.

" _PLEASE!_ " Larry asked as we rolled around. "You'll feel all better!"

"Cut it out!" I yelped.

"No!" Robin snapped.

"KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" We yelled together.

"Please just let me help! Let me help, let me help, lemme help!"

"LARRY!" I shouted. "KNOCK IT OFF! YOU'RE GOING TO GET US ALL HURT!"

"Leave me alone!" Robin demanded, throwing Larry and his magic finger over the couch. Where Larry landed, glowing cracks appeared in the ground. He looked back at us with puppy dog eyes and I noticed that his magic finger was broken.

"oops..." Robin looked at me as the cracks spread though out the entire tower, making everything change. A bright light blinded us, and suddenly, we were gone.

For a little while, we were just suspended in darkness.

"This is going to end very, _very_ badly." I commented.

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine." Robin said sarcastically.

"YAY!" Larry bounced from Robin's head to mine. "Now we can all play! YAY!"

"I'm going to kill him..." Robin muttered under his breath. I was about to agree when the darkness faded, and we began to fall.

I'd like to say it didn't bother me. I'd like to say Robin, Larry and I fell and were totally mature about it. However, the truth is that we screamed the entire way down. Luckily, we had Beast Boy to break our fall.

"Robin!" Starfire sounded relieved. She and Raven helped us up. I moved to run my hand through my hair, but I was stopped. I look at my hand and glared at Larry.

My left hand and Robin's right hand were stuck together. As in both of our broken hands- or the casts anyways- were bonded together.

"LARRY!" We both shouted.

"Uh, guys?" Cyborg pointed. "Why does the whole world look like it belongs on my grandmothers fridge?"

Just like what had happened with Mod- the world had been replaced. Everything looked like a toddler and colored it- the buildings, the people- the flowers had _faces_ and were marching around for God's sake!

"This is bad." Raven agreed, watching the marching daisy's.

BB was running around, making noises in his throat and gesturing frantically at his mouth. Or at least, where his mouth was _supposed_ to be. There wasn't anything there- his mouth was gone.

"Maybe it's not so bad after all," Raven teased. BB glared at her and ripped her mouth off.

"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!" BB yelled, in Raven's voice.

"Yeah, _Larry_." Robin snapped. "What's going on!"

"Remember how I can bend reality? Well, when you pushed me, we kinda broke it."

"You _broke_ reality!?"

" _We_ did." Larry corrected. "Together!"

Robin snarled and grabbed the front of Larry's shirt. "Fix it." He demanded. " _Now._ "

"Can't!" Larry almost whimpered. "Magic finger's broken too."

"Raven!" Robin snapped, dragging me and Larry over to the other titans. "Fix his finger!"

Raven glanced around her before reaching up and stealing Cyborgs mouth.

"Not a good idea," She said, with Cy's voice. "Mixing my powers with his could break the dimensional boundaries, and nullify all existence."

"So I can't use my powers either?" I asked. Raven nodded.

"Who cares!" BB stomped his foot. "I just want my mouth back!"

"No problem, no problem!" Larry said brightly. "If there's anyone who can fix it, it's my hero Robin!" He hugged Robin.

"What makes you think _I_ can fix it?" Robin pried Larry off his neck. "I don't even understand how we broke it!"

Cyborg reached over and snatched Starfire's mouth. "Well somebody's got to clean up this mess!" Starfire's voice coming out of Cyborg's body was all kinds of wrong. "C'mon y'all!" Starfire took back her mouth, so did Cyborg, and so did Raven. "We're heading to Titans tower!"


	12. Magic bridges- Raven

Chapter twelve Raven

The first few minutes of running were alright, I guess. Danny and Robin were a funny sight to see; they weren't exactly in sync with each other. Danny was much taller than Robin, so their steps were uneven. Robin, however, was a little stronger than Danny, so his steps had more pull. They kept tripping and cursing and yanking the other forward.

"Ow!" Danny yelped as Robin tugged especially hard. "Dude! My hand is still broken you know!"

Robin turned to him. "Then keep up! We need to get home and fix this before things get any worse!"

"They aren't getting any better with you yanking my arm off!"

Suddenly, BB started jumping around and waving his arms. He looked at where he was gesturing; it was Titans Tower. From the roof, an insanely bright beacon of light was illuminating the sky.

Since we know saw our tower, we thought it was a good idea to sit for a second. "You are feeling ok?" Star asked Robin gently.

"The universe is falling apart because I made another stupid mistake." Robin sulked. "How would you feel?"

Larry tried- and failed- to make him feel better. "Look DNA buddy!" Larry held up his magic finger, which was encased in a cast like Robin's. "Now all three of us are cast buddy's!"

Robin glared off into space.

All around us, things were weird. Stick figure dogs chased after people, and cartoon tanks rolled down the street. Citizens screamed and fled; those who saw us insisted we do something.

"So..." Danny said awkwardly. "How exactly do we plan on fixing reality?"

Cyborg lifted a shoulder. "Let's focus on getting to the tower." He stood up, and motioned for us to do the same. "Come on- let's get moving."

"I betcha Robin already has a super smart for what to do when we get there!" Larry said excitedly.

"I'm just hoping we get there before we all go completely insane." Robin snapped.

"Ditto." I glared at my hair- it was a huge beehive hair do; I didn't even have long enough hair for that to be possible! Danny looked at it and snickered. However, I wasn't the only one who was getting changed by reality.

"Do not despair!" Starfire encouraged as wings grew out of her head. "The destination is in sight!" Her head popped off her body and began to fly around.

Danny was affected too; his hair was streaked with white, one eye was green and one was blue, his day clothes and costume had combined into a weird mix of the two- he just looked weird.

Larry looked at him. "Reality is making _both_ your sides happy! YAY!"

Danny shot Robin a look for help.

"Let's get a move on," the ghost boy finally snapped. "It can't take us that long to get to the tower."

Not five seconds later, a T- rex came crashing around the corner. It took one look at us, and I could tell we were his new prey.

"Actually," Cyborg corrected in a small voice. "This could take a while. RUN!"

Running from a dinosaur is not fun. We probably wouldn't have had such a hard time if Beast Boy hadn't decided to leave us. No, instead of turning into a dino and taking on the thing, Beast Boy chased around a light post, trying to get his mouth back.

Real team player we had there.

"C'mon!" Danny panted. "Hide under the bridge- it worked last time!"

There's a lesson to be learned here kids; when reality is broken, hide under a bridge. It always works. The T- rex couldn't find us as we huddled under the bridge. But then Larry just _had_ to let out a scream of joy. The dino picked up the bridge and threw it over his shoulder and once again, we were sent running.

Finally BB stopped chasing his mouth. The dino crushed the light post and his mouth sailed down into the sewer. Now, I'm not saying it's a _good_ thing that BB lost his mouth, possibly forever, never to return and leaving him unable to ever say another word again; no- I'm just saying that if I never heard another stupid joke about a duck crossing a road then I wouldn't be upset about it.

Anyways, we snatched BB out of the way before he would get crushed too, and found a boat. T- rex didn't like to swim, so we were somewhat in the clear as we sailed to the tower.

Until we got swallowed by a whale. Because our life is just that awesome. It took a while, but eventually we kicked our way out of it's mouth and swam to shore. Danny and Robin had to be helped though; they couldn't exactly swim while being stuck together. Eventually, we all managed to drag ourselves onto the shore of our little island, wet, mad, and tired.

"Yay!" Larry clapped his hands together. "We made it! Now Robin can save the universe!"

Robin glared at his double and clenched his fist- like he was about to punch him. Beast boy paused and noticed that his mouth had (unfortunately) washed ashore with us. With a grin, he put it back on his face.

"Beast boy wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed as she put her head back on her shoulders. "You have recaptured your mouth!"

I snickered. "Yeah. But I think you put it on _backwards_."

"Pleh! I t'nac dnatsrednu tahw m'I gniyas!" Beast boy yelled, waving his arms around. He was probably asking for help. Then again, I couldn't understand him. He could have been asking to be pushed out of a plane for all I knew. So I offered him a sympathetic shrug and went on my way.

Cyborg tried to enter the passcode into the tower so we could get in, but the door instead stuck its tongue out at us and gave us a raspberry.

"I knew something like that was gonna happen..." Cyborg sighed.

Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and carried me and Cyborg on his back. Starfire grabbed Danny and Robin and pulled them up with her.

At the top of the tower, there was a huge beacon of light- it was almost blinding.

"It's pretty..." Danny commented.

"Edud, I dluoc ersta ta that rof sruoh." BB agreed.

"So..." Cyborg glanced around. "How do we close it?"

"You don't." A harsh voice stated. We whirled around to see none other than Johnny Rancid smirking behind us. "Whatever this thing is, it controls the city. And now the city belongs to Johnny Rancid!" Before anyone could stop him, Johnny took a running leap and jumped into the light.

"No!" Robin shouted, pulling Danny with him as e lunged after our foe.

The light turned red, and resembled flames more than light. All around us the city changed; buildings became darker and creepier, the water turned into oil and the sky faded to black. It was a gothic paradise.

It was kinda cool. **(GO AND READ MY AUTHORS NOTE I KNOW YOU SKIPPED IT YOU REBEL)**

"Bird boy," Johnny emerged from the flames, revamped to match his city. Grey skin, deeper voice, red eyes; he also looked like he'd been strung up on steroids. "Ready for me to clip your other wing?" Rancid cracked his knuckles.

"Your city is mine!" Johnny cackled as my team looked around in horror. "Your reality is _mine!_ " Rancid pulled out a weapon that crackled with electricity, aiming at Robin.

" _Move!_ " Danny snapped, jumping and pulling Robin out of fire just in time.

"TITANS GO!" Cyborg yelled, doing his best to distract Johnny from the cast buddy's.

With a laugh, Johnny spread his hands and formed a motor cycle out of thin air. With a roar it came to life and Johnny rode it into the sky, leaving a blazing trail of fire behind him.

Cyborg grabbed the back of the bike just in time to be pulled into the sky with Rancid. Johnny noticed and scowled, electrifying the robot ad sending him crashing into the sea.

"Grobyc!" Beast Boy yelped. He and Starfire raced after Johnny, BB turning into a pterodactyl and Star flying over head. Johnny had no problem dodging Star's starbolts, and with a quick spit to the side, BB crashed into the water.

"Kcuy! Dicnar eigool!" The green teen sputtered.

"This is bad," Danny muttered as the clouds opened up to consume Starfire. "This is really bad."

"Can't you do something Raven?" Robin pleaded.

I shook my head. "Like I said, neither Danny nor I can use our powers. It could screw up reality even more."

Robin pounded a fist on the ground. "Well we have to do _something!_ "

"Titans go, titan go!" Larry nudged Robin's leg. "Robin has to beat the bad guy!"

"I can't."

"But why can't you? You're Robin!"

"Don't you get it!?" Robin snapped. "Look at me! I'll just mess it up again!"

Larry shrugged. "So?" Robin sent an exasperated look towards Danny. "I mess up all the time," Larry went on. "But I still try."

"I _can't_ try this time Larry!" Robin argued. "What can I do? I couldn't beat Johnny when we were both normal, what makes you think I could beat him now?"

"Robin," Danny looked at his friend. "Look around you! Reality is _broken_. Our team is down for the count. There are innocent people out there who need your help!"

"I'll just make it worse."

"Again; reality is _broken!_ " Danny laughed. "Do you really think you could do worse than Rancid? Larry's right. Maybe we won't win this one- not right now. But the people out there need someone to protect them. They need you to try."

"That's how come you're my hero Robin." Larry said quietly. "Because no matter what, you _always_ try."

Robin was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "Well, I guess I can't do worse than this," he gestured around him. So he set us down, and we formed a plan.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

"Rancid!" I yelled. While I couldn't use my powers, we had determined that I could still fly without ending the world as we knew it. The brute was flying around on his bike, blowing up everything he could. When he saw me, he laughed.

"What? Bird boy was so scared that he sent in bird girl instead?"

"Yeah. Something like that." I rolled my eyes. Guys on bikes think they're so smart- but really, they're just idiots.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar laugh, accompanied by some cursing. Larry, Robin, and Danny came flying in on Robin's R- cycle.

"Larry fixed the bike!" Larry sang, showing how his magic finger was now only sprained as opposed to broken, and had thus regained some of its power.

Robin and Danny were sitting together on the bike, Robin in front and Danny in back. Since neither of them could drive the bike alone, Danny's arm was wrapped around Robin so he was half steering.

"Ow!" Danny muttered. "You elbowed me!"

"I'm trying to drive here!" Robin shot back. I had to hide my smirk.

Larry was laughing in the side car, spinning as he giggled

"It's the _stupidest_ thing I've ever seen!" Rancid declared.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Both Robin and Danny shot back.

Rancid growled, and revved up his bike to charge the R- cycle.

Robin yawned.

Rancid floored the gas, getting closer.

The trio engaged in an intense match of rock paper scissors.

Rancid was about to crash into my team head on, but the jumped out of his way with ease. Larry jumped up, turned into a Spanish bull fighter, and waved a red flag in the air. Rancid growled and sped towards it, only to crash into a building as Larry exclaimed "Olay!".

Johnny shot electricity at the group and sent them flying through the sky. Their steering was a little clumsy (both drivers were yelling at each other about which way they needed to go), but they managed to avoid Rancid all the same.

"HEY!" Danny yelped as Rancid caught up to them, ramming his bike into theirs. Larry screamed as Robin hit Johnny back, even harder. They broke apart to avoid a building, but clashed back together as soon as it was clear.

"AHH!" Robin screamed as Rancid electrified him. Danny kicked the biker away and lightly shook Robin until he was focused again. After almost spinning out, Rancid was back, angrier than ever.

"YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!" He yelled. "YOU'RE JUST A BUNCH OF STUPID LITTLE KIDS!"

Robin turned to Danny. "Hold on to something."

"What are you-" Danny couldn't finish his question. Robin shot one of his grappling hooks and swung off the bike, taking Danny with him. The spun over the bridge Johnny was riding under, and came back full circle just in time to run head first into the biker.

Rancid fell off his bike with a howl of pain. As he fell, Larry popped up and blasted him with his magic finger. Rancid fell to the ground with a harsh THUD, barely conscious.

"So Johnny," Robin smirked. "What's it feel like to be beaten by a bunch of stupid little kids?" Johnny promptly passed out. As he did, reality seemed to fix itself, since it's master was no longer controlling it.

I blinked and was suddenly on top of the tower, my team surrounding me. Everyone's appearance was back to normal, and Danny and Robin weren't stuck together anymore.

"Back to reality." Cyborg sighed in content.

"Everything looks so joyous and peaceful!" Starfire said happily.

"Yeah!" I agreed. "Can we change it back?"

"See Robin! We fixed everything!" Larry spun around. "Yay!"

"Olleh! Od I dnuos dexif ot uoy!?" BB demanded.

"That'll wear off." Larry said. "Eventually."

And so reality was back to normal. Robin and Danny were still cast buddies, BB couldn't talk straight for hours, and Larry went home. The moral of this story?

Hide under bridges when reality breaks.


	13. Clones- Danny

Chapter 13 Danny

The next reality breaks, I'm just going to give up and stay under a bridge. Mod, Larry, Freak show- reality bending is just getting old. It's annoying and exhausting. Larry, at least, didn't do it on purpose. And in the end, he was able to fix reality and Robin's motor cycle.

I felt bad for the bird brain. He had, according to Cyborg, never broken a bone in his life. It was entertaining to see him try to go through every day actions while trying to maneuver around his cast. Sure, I had had to learn to do the same thing, but my injury wasn't as drastic. I had control of my wrist- Robin didn't.

"Do you want help with that?" Raven asked as Robin attempted, and failed, at opening a jar. Robin glared at her and just shoved the jar back in the cupboard, and went to the fridge for a different snack.

" _Please_ let me sign it!" BB begged, waving a sharpie in Robin's face. "Even Danny let me sign his cast!" I actually hadn't- I didn't want him to cover anything Liz had drawn. But he snuck up on me while I was sleeping one night and cover every space Liz hadn't used with smiley faces, jokes, and pictures of pandas. "Pandas are the most perfect animal in the world," BB had explained. "And seriously, if you don't smile when you see a panda, there's something wrong with you."

Funny, since I didn't smile at the panda.

"Beast boy, _knock it off!_ " Robin demanded, pushing the kid away. "I said no! Besides, it'll come off soon so there's no point!"

"But it's so _boring_! It's not even a color!"

Robin just rolled his eyes and crashed back on the couch. "Fine."

BB drew a panda. Robin smiled.

Apparently there's something wrong with me.

I sat down next to Robin on the couch, kicking my feet up on the coffee table and lacing my fingers behind my head. I was tired and sore- nothing out of the ordinary.

"So," Cyborg joked, joining us. "Who do ya think is gonna break reality today? Control freak?"

Raven shrugged. "Well whoever it, all we have to do is hide under a bridge." Everyone laughed except me.

Today was a hard day- I didn't even know why. It just sucked. For whatever reason, I was really missing Liz. As in I couldn't think of her name without wanted to break down and cry.

"We need to do something normal today." BB suggested.

"Such as?" Starfire inquired.

The green teen lifted a shoulder. "I dunno. Video game tournament? Super mega breakfast cook off? Basketball game?"

"I suck at basket ball." I said.

"Naw ya don't!" Cyborg grinned, patting me on the shoulder. "You're so tall, I bet you rock. C'mon, let's go play!"

Raven, Robin and I were on a team against Cy, Star, and BB.

"Football I could do!" I protested as they explained the rules to me. "Remember? I was good at that! Why can't we do that instead?"

"Because basketball is funner!" BB beamed.

I almost corrected his grammar, but he wouldn't have listened if I had.

We started playing and Robin passed me the ball, which I promptly dropped. Catching a basketball with your hand in a cast is not easy- I have no idea how Robin could manage.

"C'mon dude, at least try!" BB joked. I glared at him and he shut up.

Raven had the ball next and launched it through the hoop with ease.

"You have been defeated by a female!" Starfire snickered.

The ball bounced back to him and I chucked it away. And it just so happened to score another point for my team.

"There ya go!" Robin praised me. "Keep on doing that."

However, that was easier said than done. I _really_ suck at basketball. The only way I knew how to play at all was because Sam had been really good at it. She had even considered trying out for the school basketball team, until she remembered that the shirts were white and she wouldn't be able to dye it black.

I almost smiled, thinking about the time Sam had shown Liz her skill.

" _Basketball?" Liz sounded surprised. "I didn't know you liked basketball."_

_Sam nodded. "Yeah, have since I was a kid. I saw Danny and Tucker playing it on the playground- failing majorly, I might add."_

_Tucker scoffed. "We were 5- did you really expect us to be able to score?"_

_Sam ignored him. "So I gave it a shot. First time I ever threw basket ball I scored. And I just kept going from there."_

_Liz placed her hand on her hip. "Do you still play?"_

_"Yeah, the three of us shoot hoops every once in a while."_

_"Can you teach me?"_

_Sam raised an eyebrow. "To play ball?"_

_Liz nodded. "I uh... I've never played before."_

_I gasped. "You are 14 years old, and you've never played basketball before?"_

_"Never even touched a basketball." Liz admitted. "I was always so into soccer that I didn't think I needed too. Derek kinda liked it, but Jess hated all sports so I never had a reason too."_

_Sam grabbed her arm. "come on, we need to go fix your childhood."_

_Liz blinked at the statement, but followed all the same. Once in the gym, Sam grabbed an orange ball from the closet and handed it to Liz._

_"Do you know anything about b-ball?"_

_Liz looked at the ball with an inquisitive expression. "You can't travel with it..." She looked up. "And you have to make in through the hoops up there. Right?"_

_Tucker nodded. "Yup, A+ for Liz!" Liz punched his shoulder._

_Tuck and I sat on the sidelines and watched as Sam taught Liz the proper way to stand and how to throw the ball. Liz watched with fascination as Sam tossed the ball and it sailed through the basket. Liz tried to do the same, but the ball bounced off the backboard and back down._

_"Sam's good," Tucker said, leaning back on the bleachers._

_"Yeah. Ya think Liz will teach Sam how to play soccer next?" We both laughed as the basket ball bounced, and Liz instinctively kicked it, juggling it from knee to knee._

_Sam and Liz played for a while more and after two hours, Liz finally scored. She jumped up and clapped her hands and Sam high fived her._

_"You're so good!" Liz praised Sam as we sat in a booth at the nasty burger._ _Sam laughed and poked her salad. "Just a gift I guess."_

"DANNY!" Cyborg yelled. I blinked, snapping myself out of the memory. I didn't have time to react before the basketball hit me full in the face.

It hurt a little, but I was more shocked than anything else. I fell on my back as the ball rolled away, looking up with red cheeks as the titans gathered around me.

"You ok?" BB asked and he pulled me to my feet.

I threw the ball at his chest. "Yeah, I'm fine. But uh, can we stop now?"

"We should go out for pizza!" BB declared. And so we piled in the T-car, and headed out for pizza. And I swear, I never will again. BB and Cy basically wage war on each other, arguing over whether or not to get meat toppings.

"It's always this way." Raven answered my unasked question. "It always goes the same- they argue until a rock paper scissors match is issued. Depending on the day, we either get pepperoni pizza, or cheese."

"What does the day have anything to do with it?"

"Weekdays Cyborg _always_ wins. Weekends, it's BB. So it looks like well be having pepperoni tonight."

It was somewhat relaxing to be out in the city. I was amazed by how unfazed the citizens were. Their reality had been bent twice in less than a week and they still acted like nothing was wrong. Either the people were really trusting towards the titans, or the city was occupied by psychopaths.

I'm betting on psychopaths.

True to her word, Raven gave me a pointed look as BB and Cy engaged in a rock paper scissors match, and Cyborg won.

"BOO YA! WE'RE HAVIN' PEPPERONI TONIGHT BABY! UH HUH GIMMIE FIVE!" He high fived as many people in the pizza join as he could.

I expected them to be surprised, but they just smiled and gladly accepted it.

"This city really likes you, huh?"

Robin nodded at me. "Yeah. We keep them safe, they trust us. It's pretty great."

"Yeah..." I zoned off, looking out the window at the bustling city. "Great."

Great for them maybe. I had never had that pleasure. Amity was always terrified of ghosts- even on that tried to save them.

As the titans talked and joked, I folded and unfolded my napkin, thinking of the hate Danny Phantom and The Star of Amity Park had always received.

_"you're kidding right?" I ripped a poster off the front door of my house. It was advertising a rally to permanently get ride of Danny Phantom and The Star of Amity Park._

_"Danny," Liz frowned as I shredded the flyer. "That's not going to do anything."_

_"This is stupid! We save these people almost every other day, we have had so many injuries we couldn't get help for, we've done so much for these people and look how they treat us!"_

_Liz smiled knowingly. "I know."_

_"I mean seriously! Catching a bus, saving people every day, stopping robbers- when are they going to see us as the good guys?"_

_"Danny-"_

_"I blame Vlad for this- no offense. I mean, he_ _**hates** _ _me! I think he legitimately wants me dead. He actually tries to get people to like you cause you're his daughter and everything-"_

_"_ _**Adopted** _ _daughter." Liz scowled, though I went on as if I hadn't heard._

_"But he has a bounty over my head! I'm 14. 14! And I'm being hunted like a monster- like a freak!"_

_Liz pushed me back on the steps and sat down next to me. "You are a freak."_

_"Liz-"_

_"No," she said seriously. "You are a freak. And by normal people standards, so am I. But so what? Is that seriously why you do this? Do you only save people for the glory?"_

_"I didn't say-"_

_"What did you expect?" Liz went on. "A stature, a parade? Danny, we live in a weird world. Everyone wants things to be normal- but everyone has a different definition of normal. For us, saving people and almost dying in the process in normal. For others? It's coming home every night to a loving family and a hot dinner. That's what most people do actually. They define normal. And you know what they do with that power?"_

_"Liz I-"_

_"_ _Do you?" She pushed._

_I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to get a word in until she had finished her tirade. This is what I got for being best friends with an actress. "No."_

_"They corrupt the world." Liz snapped. "They make sure everyone knows of their originaless originality. And if they discover something that breaks their norm, they attack in every way possible. Think of celebrities! They aren't 'normal'- they're famous and rich and idolized. So the normal people try to tear them down."_

_"I don't get where this is going-"_

_"And you know_ _**why** _ _they tear them down?"_

_I shook my head._

_"Because it scares them. The idea that there is something more than their family diners and work due dates. It scares them that while their life is a fairly straight line, others are whole mazes. It's their lack of weirdness that terrifies them. Thinking that all they have is straight lines while others have shapes. Or the opposite- scared that because they_ _**can't** _ _have shapes and mazes that_ _**they're** _ _the weird ones. And they have to convince themselves that they're normal."_

_I rolled my eyes. "That's really cool and all, but I don't understand why-" Liz covered my mouth with her hand._

_"And us? Why do you think we terrify people? Because we're the weirdest of the weird. We aren't just movie stars or political leaders- we're freaking_ _**superheroes** _ _. The only being's capable of doing what humans can only dream of doing. So why do we scare them? Because they know we're more powerful than them. They know they can never compare; all their shapes could never compete with what we consider our straight line. And because of that, they can't allow us to stay around."_

_"But we save them!" I protested. "We save their freaking lives!"_

_"_ _So do firemen and cops." Liz shot back. "But they don't normally scare people. And it's because anyone who wanted too could become a cop or a firemen. Us?_ _**We** _ _didn't even want to be like this. We are freaks Danny." She winked at me and smiled. "And it's what makes us normal."_

"Danny?" BB snapped his fingers under my nose. "Bro, you gonna eat your pizza or not?"

I nodded and poked at my pizza. My gut was tight and I felt like I was going to throw up. I had done my best to block out all memories of Liz, and in one day I had had two flash backs featuring her. It made my heart hurt.

Suddenly, the pressure in my stomach tightened and spiked. I gagged and slapped a hand over my mouth, sure I was about to lose breakfast.

"Danny?" Robin questioned. He probably thought I was going to have a panic attack or something- which was so not true.

Something was creeping up my throat, and I cringed. Robin placed a hand between my shoulder blades as the other titans crowded me. Raven had her hand on my shoulder and was looking at me with concern in her eyes.

"Danny?" Star asked gently.

I shut my eyes as the pressure behind my mouth grew. It was a familiar feeling, but it didn't feel like I was going to throw up, despite the cramping in my gut.

A minute later, it was too much and I had to open my mouth. I dry heaved once and then the most unexpected thing came out of my mouth.

My ghost sense.

It had been years since it had gone off- I had gotten so used to having Liz around that it had started to fail to help identify if a ghost was near by, or if it was just her.

"What was that?" Cyborg asked.

Before he could answer, two bodies barreled into mine, sending me flying backwards to the ground. The titans yelped in surprise, too stunned to do much more than stare.

I hit the back of my head on a table as I fell, and my vision blacked out for a moment as I was tackled to the ground. I tensed, ready for a fight, until I realized that I wasn't being attacked. No, it was even stranger...

I was being _hugged._

When my vision cleared, I looked down at the two bodies that were squeezing my chest and _crying._

"Uhh..." I tried pushing the two off to no avail. "Are you two ok? And could you uh... maybe get off of me?"

Then the girl looked up. Black hair, blue eyes, and a smile that looked too familiar.

"Finally," She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "Oh my God, finally. I knew it wasn't true! I knew you weren't dead. They all said... but I never believed-"

"D- Dani?" My voice cracked.

Her grin widened. I turned to the boy who was still gripping my chest.

"Leon?" I questioned. He didn't look like the Leon I remembered. For a minute, I wasn't even sure it was him- his hair was navy blue after all. But one look into his eyes, and I knew it was him.

For the first time in a long time, I smiled. A true, honest to God smile of pure happiness. It was them. It was really them!

"Uh..." Beast Boy scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Not to be rude or anything, but who the heck are you?"

Dani stood up and rubbed at her watery eyes. "Right, right. Sorry." She extended her hand with her signature trouble making grin.

"I'm Dani, and that's Leon. We're Danny and Liz's clones. Or cousins, when the need arises."

Leon helped me stand up, still hugging me.

"Speaking of," He glanced around the pizza joint. "Where is Liz?"

At that, my face fell. I glanced at Robin for help- there was no way I could say it.

Robin cleared his throat. "There's no easy way to say this..." Leon and Dani stared at him. "But... well... Liz is dead."


	14. Twinkle Twinkle little car- Raven

Chapter 14 Raven

The two kids looked at Robin and Danny in horror.

"What?" The kid with dyed blue hair blinked. "Y- you're kidding right?"

Danny bit his lip and looked at the floor, slowly shaking his head. The girl Dani- what was with the same name thing?- covered her mouth with her hands.

"Danny," She rushed forward and hugged him, though he didn't hug back. Leon just stood there in shock, a look of disbelief on his face. Danny looked at him and swallowed. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He gently pried Dani off of him and walked towards Leon.

The blue haired kid blinked back tears. "She's dead? How? I mean, I didn't know you guys could even-"

"I know." Danny ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Listen, come to the tower with us," I couldn't help but notice that he didn't call it 'home' this time."And we'll explain everything."

The two kids nodded and off we went. Danny stayed quiet most of the time, as did the new comers. I wasn't exactly sure _why_ no one argued to taking strangers to the tower, but then again, Danny knew them. He had even _smiled_ when he saw them.

He hadn't smiled like that since Liz was alive.

"Your hair's longer," Danny commented as Cyborg parked in the garage. Leon touched his blue hair. "Yeah. Short hair's over rated."

Danny smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "It's almost at your shoulders."

Dani poked him. "Yours is longer than his. In the back anyway."

Danny ran his finger through his hair and lifted a shoulder. "Short hair's over rated."

As soon as we were all in the living room, Beast boy cleared his throat. "Ok so like, what and who are you?"

Dani smiled. "I'm Dani- with an I. I'm Danny's- with a y- clone."

Leon stretched back on the couch. "And I'm Leon. Liz's clone."

Starfire smiled and crushed them both in a hug. "Welcome to our home!"

Leon and Dani-with-an-I shared a look, but hugged her back.

"So," Danny sat across from them on the coffee table. "Where have you guys been!? I haven't seen you since forever!"

Dani pulled her neon green beanie off and ruffled her hair. "We've been going crazy! For a while we lived in the ghost zone, learning stuff. Then there was this whole issue with some evil king dude, so we came back to reality and hid."

Danny smirked slightly. "Yeah. That was Liz's dad. And that was us fighting him."

Leon blinked. "Seriously? Dude, that was like, hardcore fighting! How'd you survive?"

"With skill."

Leon nodded. "Yeah, sounds like you. Anyways, so we came back here. We got jobs and stuff, stopped a few ghosts here and there. Mostly we just goofed off."

"Then we went back to visit you." Dani said quietly. "And you weren't there. Neither were Sam and Tucker. We did a little research and it turns out, you guys were gone." Dani looked at her clone with wide eyes. "Was it true? Were you guys really taken by the Guys in White?"

Danny nodded and pushed his bangs back, showing the scar above his eye.

Leon looked down. "Is that how she died?"

Danny frowned. "No, at least not the first time."

"First time?"

From then, Danny explained what had happened, how they lived as runaways for so long before being found by the titans.

"She was shot." He sighed sadly, rapidly blinking. "And there was nothing I could do. The Guys In White finally found a way to kill a ghost."

Leon wiped at his eyes. "Was it peaceful?" He whispered. "Or was she in pain?"

"It... is was pretty painful for her..."

"But hey!" Cyborg tried to lighten the mood. "It was fun meeting her. She did the craziest things while she was here!" He chuckled. "Me and her were making dinner one night. And ya know what she did? She started a one on one food fight with me! She didn't agree with how we were making the salad and suddenly BOOM! Five baby tomatoes, right in the face!"

Beast boy laughed. "She had a thing for food fights. This one time, when Robin was replaced by a robot, she got really annoyed with him and dumped an entire pitcher of syrup in his hair!"

Dani snickered. "I can see her doing that. I was at her house once, and we were eating breakfast. Well, Vlad mad some comment about her being the best daughter ever. Liz calmly stood up, dumped her cereal over his head, then put the dishes in the dishwasher. She didn't even say anything until she got to the door."

Leon giggled. "I remember that! At the door she stopped for a second, looked over her shoulder and said ' you just got served', and walked out. Vlad was so ticked he couldn't even respond!"

Danny smiled. "She told me about that. But I swear, she did way worse when we were running away." Everyone leaned closer to hear the story. "Ok, so we were camping out by this creek in God knows were. The water was sick- full of moss and muddy and gross. So we were sitting on the rocks chilling in the sun because we were tired and had nothing better to do. I don't remember what I said, but it annoyed her."

"How did she respond?" Starfire eagerly asked. 

"She pushed me into the water head first!" Everyone laughed. "She didn't even help me get out! Once I was back on the rock she just looked at me and asked if I had done something different with my hair. It took a week before we could find clean water so I could scrub it off!"

More laughter rang off the walls. It was strange seeing Danny look like this. He was laughing and smiling like he hadn't done in almost a year.

He listened to Leon as the boy explained why punk rock was a fun look and why Dani-with-an-i had gotten into the color pink. He called her crazy as she explained that her belt didn't actually keep her shorts up, but were just a fashion statement.

The clones watched as BB turned into different animals and Starfire showed them her star bolts. They discussed being kidnapped with Robin, since apparently, they had also been kidnapped before.

"So how'd you escape the GIW the first time Danny?" Leon asked, sipping on the coke BB had given him.

"Liz saved me." Danny explained, though he didn't sound sad. He almost sounded happy to be talking about her. "She made the plan. We had over heard people talking about getting us separated, so that became part of our plan. I can split and she can't, so I was supposed to split into as many Danny's as possible."

Robin tilted his head. "Doesn't the facility block out your powers?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, that's why escape wasn't easy. But I knew I would pull it off- I didn't give myself a choice. So on the day we escaped, I split into 5 me's. That's all I could do. But it did the trick- mostly. Three of me went and distracted every body, I was still, ya know, being experimented on, and the last one went and found Liz."

"Was she alright?" Leon wanted to know. Danny lifted a shoulder. "The had needed a few samples or something from her. Left scars on her back. But she was in pretty good shape, considering the circumstances." Leon didn't look happy about his clones being scarred, but nodded anyways.

"Anyways, while she was being helped, the agent who was 'testing' things on me got pissed. Started doing he stuff he really didn't have too. I was losing blood and was scared and crying," he didn't have any problem admitting to such an act. "Then she burst in. Kicked in the door and her eyes blazed purple, even though she wasn't strong enough at the time to go ghost."

"Then what happened?" BB inched closer, anxious to hear the end of the story.

"The agent jumped- cut a huge section of my leg. I'd been cut there before, but the time he went deeper. I screamed pretty loud. Liz knocked him out and got me off the table I was stuck on. By this time, alarms were wailing and there were agents running everywhere. I was sure I couldn't get out, so I kept telling her to go on without me.

Knowing Liz, she wouldn't. After running for our lives, we were able to get outside. It had been a really rainy year in Amity, and the river and really deep and strong. It was raining when we ran away. It was pouring and we kept slipping and falling. I wanted to stay down and let Liz escape without me. But she'd pull me up and drag me." Danny looked outside.

"Finally, the Guys in White cornered us. We could either go with them, or die by falling into the river. I was almost unconscious, Liz was about to pass out, and it seemed impossible. So I stood as best I could, told the Guys In White to shove it where the sun don't shine, and pulled Liz into the water with me."

I was surprised. "Wasn't it cold?" I asked. "I mean, how did you survive? Did you swim for it or something?"

Danny shook his head. "I dunno how we survived. The Guys In White were shooting into the water, the current was too strong to swim against, the wind had it pulling us up and down. But somehow we did it."

Dani-with-an-I smiled. "I knew you would. As soon as I heard you were dead I knew it couldn't be true."

Leon smiled. "All we've been doing for the past year is look for you."

Danny smiled sadly. "We were pretty hard to find until we came here."

Leon shrugged. "Still hard to find. The world is casually not realizing that there are two new members of the teen titans. There are occasional reports of extra helpers, but outside of this city, no one knows you guys are here."

Danny looked at him with wide eyes. "But, everyone in this town knows _who_ we are! There was a whole deal with someone who was willing to shoot us because the GIW had told him we were evil!"

Cyborg beamed. "That speech you and Liz gave them must have changed their minds. You're safe here."

Beast Boy coughed. "Not to interrupt or anything," everyone looked at him. "But if she's Danny's clone and he's Liz's clone, why are they different genders?"

Dani laughed. "We were cloned at the same time. Vlad accidentally mixed the DNA from Danny ad Liz, so I'm a girl and Leon's a boy." She ruffled his hair. "Though you'd never know it from his hair."

Leon shoved her playfully and she fell on the couch. From then on, it was just as if the clones had been there our whole lives. Somehow they just fit in with us. They liked Cyborgs cooking (and unlike Liz, both would eat meat), and Dani though Cyborgs tunes were awesome. Starfire loved Leon's blue hair, and gave him the nickname blueberry. He, in return, started calling her strawberry.

Robin, Danny and I sat on the couch, watching as the others taught Leon how to play a video game- he really sucked at them.

"I can't believe they're here." Danny breathed, leaned back with a smile.

Robin grinned at him. "I'm glad they're here, you look so happy."

"I thought there would be more water works." Danny admitted. "Although I still think there will be. Just wait."

We had a normal day, just like we had planned. We all played video games and talked and ate. Robin invited the clones to live with us, and they accepted with huge smiles.

When I asked him about how sudden that decision was, he just smiled. "I haven't seen Danny this happy in a long time. If keeping these kids around will help, then I'm more than happy to do it."

I couldn't argue with that.

As the day came to an end, a sense of du ja vu washed over me. We were setting up two kids so they could sleep on the couch after finding them on the street. It scared me to think that that was how innocently Danny and Liz's story had started. I hope the same ending didn't come to Dani-with-an-I and Leon.

Danny bid them good night. He and Robin had a serious bromance thing going on- they were sharing a room, clothes, you never would have guess that at one point they couldn't stand each other.

Danny hugged me before he went to bed. He actually hugged me. It was the weirdest thing- no one hugs me. But he smiled, hugged me, and told me goodnight.

My cheeks were still red when I turned out my light.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

I woke up when I heard someone walking past my door. I peeked out and saw that it was Danny. Seeing as he had no reason to be up, I quietly followed him. He lead me to the hallway Liz had died in.

In front of her plaque was Leon, curled up in a ball on floor, rocking back and forth as sobs shook his body.

Danny walked up and sat next to him, pulling him close in a brotherly way.

I watched from around the corner as he rubbed Leon's back, letting him sob.

"She's gone..." The clone finally sobbed out. "S- she's actually gone! I kept expecting it to be a prank or something but she's actually dead!"

Danny nodded. "Yeah... yeah, she's gone."

"H-how long?" Leon hiccuped. "When d-did she die?"

Danny took a shaky breath. "April 2nd."

"That's the day after her birthday!"

"I know."

Leon had Danny's T-shirt fisted in his hand. Once again he dropped his head and sobbed. Danny held him close, looking down at him with brotherly concern.

"Dani doesn't get it." said Leon. "She's sad and she cried earlier, but she doesn't get it. Liz is gone! I've waited so long to get her back, to see her, and now... now I can never see her again!" A new wave of tears washed over him.

"I wanted to tell her so much, do so much with her, show her so many things! All I've thought about was being able to talk to her again!"

Danny stood up. "Come with me." Still sobbing, Leon followed Danny to the roof, with me in the back.

The November night was cold, but the sky was clear. The stars sparkled down on us.

Danny lead Leon to the railing while I hid behind the elevator.

"W-why are we up here?" Leon asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Look up there." Danny pointed at the stars. Leon shrugged.

"So what?"

Danny looked up at them. "When Liz and I were friends, and we still saved people, we would sit outside on the roof after a really hard fight. She'd point at the stars and pretend they were paparazzi, answering fake questions and striking crazy poses for them. She'd say that one day she'd be sitting on the roof looking at the stars, and she'd wave to me while I was in space."

Leon looked at the stars too. "Really?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah. If I was having a bad day and she couldn't cheer me up, she'd point at the stars and say 'twinkle twinkle little star, I know exactly what you are, I know that Dan will be alright, but watch over him tonight, do it do it little star, or I'll hit you with a car.'."

Leon laughed and Danny did too. "Did she really say that?"

"Of course! And sometimes, all we'd do is look at the stars and talk. That's why we're here."

"To talk?" Leon shivered. "We could have talked inside."

Danny shook his head. "We aren't talking to each other. We're talking to her."

It sounded crazy to me, but it seemed normal enough to Leon. He looked at the stars and looked like he was about to cry again.

"Hey Liz... it's me..." He began awkwardly. "I know we haven't talked for a while. A little too long I guess. I just... I hope you're ok, wherever you are. I'm sorry we didn't talk more, I'm sorry I ran away. I wish you were here right now! There was so much I wanted to do with you that now I'll never get to do! I wish I could have saved you, wish I could have been there. I wish... I wish you were here." he bent his head and started crying again.

He cried a lot for a punk/rock dude.

Danny stood next to him and pointed. "Look!" he smiled. "A shooting star!"

Leon watched at it raced across the sky. "Do you think she heard me?"

Danny nodded. "I know she heard you Leon." He looked at the sky. "We heard you too Liz.."


	15. Wish upon a dream- Danny

Chapter 16 Danny

Leon and fell asleep on the roof. He didn't want to go inside because the stars made him feel closer to Liz. I couldn't blame him- I had done the same thing more times than I could count.

I was still blown away that he and Dani were here. It was unreal! I hadn't thought about them in forever which made me feel a little guilty. But at the same time, they had had the option to stay with us many times and had chosen to leave, so it wasn't like I had been missing out on movie night or anything. I honestly hadn't thought I'd ever see them again.

I wasn't going to leave Leon outside by himself, so I fell asleep next to him. The kid had changed since I had last seen him. He had always being so sensitive- Dani had gotten an abundance of Liz's sass while he had gotten an insane amount of my sensitivity. One annoyed look from Liz was all it took to get his eyes watering.

Now, he looked like a rocker teen. One of those kids you really didn't want to come across in a dark ally. He even had his cartilage pierced on his left ear. I wondered if he had gotten the idea from Derek.

Derek. I hadn't seen him or Jessica in a while either. It made me sad to think that they probably thought Liz and I were dead too. In fact, they had probably gone back to having normal lives instead of hunting ghosts. Maybe they thought about us once in a while, remembered what we had done together. But then they would stop, remember the news articles that declared us dead or captured or whatever, and try to forget.

They probably didn't want to remember we ever met.

Liz had never seen them to say good bye. If she knew that, she'd probably be upset.

I wondered if she sent shooting stars to watch over them too.

Maybe she even sent them to her mom, making sure Kelly didn't completely forget her like Claire wanted. She probably would- she had always loved her little sister.

Heck, she might even send a star Vlad's way every now and again, if only to piss him off. In fact knowing Liz, she probably sent a star to everyone who needed a wish.

I laughed, my tired mind remaking Twinkle twinkle little star, just like she had.

"Twinkle twinkle little Liz A wish a wish is all this is Up above the world so high A shining star soaring bye Twinkle Twinkle little Liz A wish a wish is all this is." I looked at the sky. "I wish I could see you again.

Eventually I fell asleep too. I drempt of flying in the star filled sky, jumping from star to star. I sent them flying so those who needed it could make the one wish they needed.

A star was thrown at me like a snowball- it burst into glitter when it hit me. I turned and saw Liz laughing at me. She was dressed as if she was the queen of the stars; a silver ball gown and glittering tiara. She threw stars and me and laughed sweetly, hugging me and swinging me through the sky.

"You look like you need a wish." She plucked a star and held it out to me. "Go on Danny! Make a wish!"

I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You're my only wish."

"Are you sure?" Liz cocked her head to the side. "This might be the only wish you can ever have! You want to waste it on me?"

"Every wish I'd ever get would be to be able to see you- the real you, even one more time."

Liz looked at the glowing little star in her hand. "W- would seeing me help you let me go?"

"I can never let you go Liz." I admitted. "I can never let go of this love we have."

She bit her lip. "Then will it help you move on?"

"I don't know. I don't think I _want_ to move on. I don't want to forget you."

"Danny," Liz stroked her thumb across my cheek. "Listen to me. Moving on doesn't mean you forget. It means you stop living in past memories and star making new ones. We can never be the same as we once were. Trying to stay like that will destroy you. That's why I'm asking you honestly; if you get to see me, would it help you move on?"

"Closure would." I looked at her. "But I'm not sure I can ever get that."

Liz smiled. "I don't think so either. But... can you try?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Make a wish Danny." Liz smiled, once again extending the star in front of me.

"I wish I could see you again. But why are you asking me this? You're a dream, it's not like any of this is real."

Liz grinned mischievously and whispered in my ear, "Don't be so sure." With that she blew on the star and it burst into glitter and flew in my face.

"Danny!" Raven was shaking me awake. "Come inside!"

Leon was next to her, shivering slightly. Rain was starting to fall and thunder sounded in the distance.

I rolled to my feet and followed them inside. We met up with everyone else in the living room. Dani and Cyborg were making hot chocolate, BB was playing a hand-held game, Starfire was watching raindrops slide down the window, and Robin was looking at the weather report in confusion.

"This is so weird." he commented. "This rain shouldn't be here."

Dani shrugged. "Weather man are always wrong, I wouldn't look too much into it."

Cyborg shook his head. "We don't watch the actual weather. We have you own top of the line weather tech- it's _never_ been wrong before."

"Maybe the weird weather messed it up?" Leon suggested, gratefully accepting the mug of coco Dani offered him.

Robin frowned. "I guess. But I just check it the other day- there shouldn't be anyway the weather could mess with it."

"Don't stress dude." Beast boy said absently. "We can check it after the storm." he slammed his game on the table. "WHY CAN'T I BEAT THIS BOSS!?"

Starfire giggled as she watched the rain. "Race little water droplets! Raven! You must come witness this with me!"

"No thanks." Raven rolled her eyes. She leaned back on the couch and took out a book, successfully tuning the rest of us out.

"Blueberry!" Starfire looked at Leon with wide eyes. "Join me."

Leon rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Be right there Strawberry." Starfire giggled at the name and gave Leon one of her signature back breaking hugs.

Dani laughed and stood next to me. "He seems to be doing better."

"What do you mean?"

"Last night," she explained. "I heard him get up. I know he was crying. What'd you do that got him to calm down?"

I lifted a shoulder. "Same thing I do when I miss her- we went and talked."

Dani grinned. "Well, thanks cuz." She kissed my cheek and hugged me. "I really missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you too."

Dani pulled her green beanie off and tussled her hair before pulling the hat back on. "I wish he could have seen her. I... I wish I could have seen her." For a moment, she looked sad, but then she smiled again. "Oh well. Can't change it now. Just gotta enjoy what I got."

I looked at her. "You don't seem that sad that she's gone."

"Danny, I've thought you both were dead for almost three years. It wasn't until I saw you yesterday that I knew you were alive. Of course I'm sad! But I can't dwell on what's bad, I gotta look at whats good. I might not get to see Liz again, but I get to not only _see_ you again, I get a _home_ with you! There's too much good to stay stuck in the bad."

I ruffled her hair. "When did you get so grown up?"

"Dunno. Oh, by the way," She reached and poked at me cheek. "You have a piece of glitter on your face."

My fingers ran lightly over my cheek as Dani walked back to the kitchen to watch Cy bake something or another. When it came back, glitter dotted my hand.

I couldn't help but think about how weird that was since I A.) didn't wear glitter, nor did I surround myself with it and B.) hadn't been anywhere near glitter. And why hadn't the rain washed it off? I wasn't soaked, but I was still wet.

"Who wants to watch a movie?" BB asked, casually hiding the game that he had destroyed in a hit of rage against the boss level.

Before I could think more about the mysterious glitter and how it had gotten there, I was whisked away to the couch, and caught in the trance of a superhero movie.

Leo sat next to me, and as I expected, jumped at everything. While he tried to play it off, I saw the timid little kid I'd always known. Dani, on the other hand, didn't even blink when one of the characters was killed. She actually criticized the was the villain had killed him.

"He technically got lucky." She explained. "If the dude hadn't been hiding there, then the explosion wouldn't have killed him. So he can take the credit all he wants, but he _didn't_ kill him."

"Shut up, killjoy." Leon elbowed her in the ribs. "Just watch the movie."

I was hardly even paying attention anymore- I was gazing out the window. The weather was really getting weird. It was raining insanely hard- I couldn't out the window _at all._ Every few seconds, the sky lit up as a bright bolt of lightning zapped across it.

The claps of thunder made Leon jump, and he finally just kept a constant hold of my arm. His green eyes were wide from both the action of the movie, and the storm.

The movie was at one of the most climatic parts when another streak of lightning flashed, and lights went out. Everyone let out a surprised yelp as we were thrown into sudden darkness.

Leon was crushing my arm, hiding his face in my chest. Dani was on my other side, her head pressing into my neck.

Cyborg turned on one of his body flashlights and gave us some light to see by. Starfire was wrapped around his leg like a little kid. Robin had jumped up and tripped over the table and was face down on the ground. Raven was helping him up. Beast boy was in the form of a cat, and was running around the room in circles, hissing like crazy.

"Jesus H Christ." Dani muttered, slowly unhooking from me and standing. "What was _that?_ "

"The lightning took out our power." Cyborg sighed. "I won't be able to go fix it until the storm passes."

"So..." BB turned back into himself and kicked at the ground. "What do we do until the power is back?"

"We could play a board game!" Star suggested.

We played cards instead. Star had one hell of a poker face. The first few rounds she made it obvious about when she had a good or bad hand, but by the fifth game, it was impossible to tell what she had in her hand.

Leon wasn't bad either, but Dani kinda sucked. Her tell was pretty obvious. If she had a good hand, she pulled a little at her beanie. If she had a bad hand, she twisted her hair around her finger.

The lightning was starting to make me nervous. It seemed like it was getting closer and closer to the tower. As I folded my hand, I walked over to the window.

"Guys, this is cra-" Before I could finish my sentence, a bolt of lightning broke through the window, missing me by mere inches. Screams filled the air as I fell back, stunned. For a minute, all I could hear was ringing in my ears, and everything I saw was out of focus. When I saw clearly again, I freaked out.

The room was on fire. Smoke filled the air and I coughed, backing up and cutting my hand on glass. The flames were keeping me cornered, and I couldn't see anyone else.

"Dani!" I called, covering my mouth with my shirt. "Leon? Guys!" No answer. Still coughing, I stood up and tried to find a way out. I didn't see one.

"Help!" My voice cracked and I coughed. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see a pure black figure behind me.

"Raven?"

The figure crouched next to me, cocking its head to the side. "W-who are you? W-w-why-y-y-y are you h-h-her-r-r-re?"

The voiced sounded like it was coming from a glitching computer.

"Who are you?" I asked backing away.

The figure stood, taking robotic and awkward steps towards me. "Remember! Re-re-re-re member-r-r. Re-Re-Re, W-who are y-y-you?"

I backed away in horror. "Get away from me!"

"D-D-Danny..." Another flash of lighting. I gasped. Liz, a very weird looking Liz, was standing in front of me. It was like she was a puppet, she looked like she was being held up by strings, her head was lolled to the side, and her eyes were totally unfocused.

"Liz?" I coughed again and moved towards her. I was able to touch her. She _felt_ like Liz. Her soft skin, her hair- it all felt like her. "Liz what-?"

"Remember-r-r." She wasn't even looking at me. It really was like a creepy doll. "Re- Re-re... D-Dan... Lo-lo-lo... H-h-elp-p-p... Re-re-re-nny W-who are-are-are-are help help D-D-D-Danny... Help help y-y-you... Lo-love-love He-help."

"Liz." I was holding her hand as I fell on the ground. It was just so ht and so hard to breath. "This... isn't real..."

And in that second, I swear she actually saw me. She looked right at me, her lips turned up into a small smile and she said, "Don't be so sure."

She sat next to me, not really seeing me, as I fell to the ground, coughing and slowly losing consciousness.

Just before I completely blacked out, I heard Cyborg calling my name, and saw the fire being put out. I couldn't move, so I just lay there, hoping that he found me. Liz still sat with me, out hands limp in leach others.

A minute later, Cyborg found me. He put the fire out with his extinguisher as fast as he could before running over to me. He swung me into his arms.

"L-Liz..." I tried to point to her, but she wasn't there anymore.

"Don't worry bro," Cyborg assured me. "I gotcha."

I was only half awake, so I couldn't answer. The entire team was in the infirmary, coughing and covered with soot. Some of them were conscious, others were not. On one looked seriously hurt, but everyone was still breathing through an oxygen mask, trying to clean their lungs.

Robin stood and helped Cyborg get me on a bed. He, Cyborg, and Starfire were the only other ones that were awake. Dani and Leon were on cots.

I was glad to see they weren't hurt, the heat had probably just been a little too much.

"Liz..." I tried again.

Starfire just pushed my hair out of my face and dabbed a wet cloth on my forehead.

"I... saw her..." I said, my voice weak.

Robin gave me a smile. "I'm sure you did. Now just get some sleep."

As I fell asleep, I thought that Robin must have been right. I must have been hallucinating from lack of air or something. But before I fell asleep, I realized that I _couldn't_ have dreamed it.

There was real, honest to God proof that she had been there.

Her ring, the ring she was wearing when she died, was in my hand.

Liz had been in the tower.


	16. All I want- Raven

Chapter 16 Raven

I woke in the infirmary, an oxygen mask over my face. I ripped it off and sat up, glancing around the dark room. Dani and Leon were laying in a cot together, cat form BB was purring in a chair next to me, Starfire and snoring against the window, and Robin was leaning back in a chair. Cyborg was leaning over a desk, his head resting on his folded arms.

I glanced around for Danny and saw him on the cot closest to the door. I got up quietly and walked over to him, noticing the cuts on his hands. As I watched, they slowly closed up, disappearing; his ghost immunity was kicking in faster than usual.

His face was covered in soot and ash, but other than that, he seemed unharmed.

I sat back and tried to understand what had happened. Our power went out, we played cards, Danny freaked out about lightning and then BAM! Glass was shattering, fire was roaring, and I woke up here.

My feet didn't make a sound as I quietly moved out of the infirmary and to the living room, looking at the burnt ruins that remained. It was night, and the power was still out, so it was hard to see, but I saw enough.

Half of the couch had been burned away. The window was gone, the shattered remains glistening in the moon light on the floor. It was actually kind of pretty- like stars.

The room, in all honesty, wasn't that bad. Only a small section had gotten burned before Cyborg busted out the extinguisher. Still, something felt weird about the whole thing.

Our tech not working was unheard of, so that was the first thing that made me uneasy. The second was the fact that our window had broken. Our windows could survive anything- hurricanes, lasers, heat, radiation, bullets- and yet a single bolt of lightning took it out.

Slowly, the sun started to creep up the horizon, and I decided going back to my bed in the infirmary sounded like a good idea. As I entered the room, I noticed Danny tossing and turning on his cot. I pushed his bangs back off his sweaty forehead and he seemed to relax. He rolled over again and I heard something metallic clank to the floor.

 _He knocked a bolt out of the bed._ I thought as I picked up the small piece of silver and slipped it into my pocket.

Everyone was still sleeping soundly. The new kids were tangled together in a pretzel of limbs and hair. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

BB still purred and Starfire still snored as I climbed back under the covers and closed my eyes.

(::)(::)(:::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

"Get off me!"

"Let go! Owowowow Dani!"

"It's not my fault! You're the one who was all over me!"

"Not true!"

I opened my eyes and saw Dani-with-an-i and Leon wrestling and trying to detangle themselves from each other. The other members of my team stirred, slowly waking up and noticing the mess the kids had gotten in.

"What are you doing?" Beast boy yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"GET HIM OFF ME!" Dani shouted, startling Starfire awake.

Robin walked over, helping them out of their mess, trying to hide his amused smirk.

"Is everyone ok?" He asked, glancing around. Everyone nodded.

"Danny is still asleeping." Starfire pointed out.

"Probably shouldn't wake him up." Cyborg advised, moving from the desk. "He was pretty freaked out last night- rest will probably be the best thing for him."

Dani walked over to her clones, brushing his bangs back. "He looks tired..." She glanced up at us. "He really hasn't been taking care of himself, has he?"

BB shook his head. "Dude, you have no idea."

Slowly, our tired team made its way into the kitchen, blatantly ignoring the burnt portion of the room.

Cyborg pulled a box of pancake mix out of the cupboard and Dani-with-an-i jumped up on the island, sitting on it and watching Cy as he cooked. Leon flipped himself upside down on the couch and stared outside, his eyes half closed.

"Is no one gonna discuss what happened last night?" I asked, beginning to brew a cup of tea. Dani noticed and requested I make her one too.

"The news is saying it was a weird natural phenomenon." Robin said. "Which means it was something someone did on purpose in order to get our attention."

Leon sat up and raised an eyebrow. "A little lightning and you think God sent it down from the heavens to tell you something?" He rolled back down. "That's a little vain, don't you think?"

Cyborg flipped a pancake. "Maybe. But have you ever seen lightning like that? It normally hits the highest metal point it can- that strike was through a glass window."

"Besides," BB added. "We know of people who can manipulate lightning."

Dani pulled her beanie off and ran her fingers through her hair. "Liz could."

Starfire nodded. "But sadly, she is no longer with us." Leon winced.

Dani wrapped her hands around the mug of tea I handed her, looking off into space.

"Soooo..." Robin said awkwardly. "We really don't know that much about you and Leon," Leon alerted us he was sleeping by loudly snoring over Robins words.

Dani smiled. "You wanna know our story?" She sipped her tea. "Hold on to your tights bird brain, this ones a weird one." Leon snored again and Dani threw a pillow at him, waking him up.

"Leon and I were cloned by Vlad when Danny and Liz were 14."

BB raised an eyebrow. "So you're technically three years old?"

Leon nodded. "Yeah, but we were cloned with memories of a 14 year old soooo we're smart and stuff." Dani rolled her eyes.

"Anyways we were cloned because Vlad was trying to create the 'perfect son' by cloning Danny. Liz wasn't exactly what he wanted in a daughter I guess. Anyways Liz found out about his secret lab and followed him down, accidentally mixing her DNA into the cloning machine."

"That's why I'm a boy and Dani is a girl." Leon supplied. "We're failed clones- clones that came close to what Vlad wanted, but not quite right. There were others too, and in the three days Danny and Liz didn't know us, he insisted on making us evil little kids bent on hunting down Danny and Liz."

"Jesus..." I sipped my tea. "That must have been fun for the ghosts."

Dani ran her fingers though her hair again. "We basically showed up in their houses and acted like little brats." She giggled. "I kid you not when I say I emptied Danny's fridge in less than an hour."

"Why'd they let you in?" BB wanted to know.

"I said I was Danny's cousin." Dani beamed.

"And I just said I was a new charity project for Vlad." Leon raised a shoulder. "Liz didn't really buy it. As soon as she saw what I looked like and what I wore and how I acted, she knew something was up."

"Did she recognize herself in you?" Starfire leaned forward.

Dani-with-an-i scoffed. "He's too sensitive to be Liz. Another thing that got mixed up besides DNA was personality. Danny might be snappy, but he's no where near as witty as Liz. Like me!" She ginned. "I got that from her. I got most of my likes, dislikes, and my name from Danny though."

Robin drew his eyebrows together. "So what I'm hearing is that Danny and Liz made you two."

Leon nodded.

"So all your DNA is from them?"

Another nod.

"So Danny and Liz are basically you're parents." Robin concluded.

Dani shot up with her mouth open, ready to prove him wrong, but it turned out she couldn't come up with a way to disprove what he said and thus was left standing up, finger in the air and mouth open.

"I don't think I wanted to hear that." A voice from the door stated. Everyone spun around and saw Danny leaning in the door way, the traces of a smirk on his face.

Leon nodded. "I'm with you bro. I don't think I want a dad who's two years older than me."

Danny shuddered. "Don't call me dad."

"Dad."

"Leon."

"Yes dad?"

Danny glared at him and stalked up to the blue hair boy, all but towering over him. Leon tried to look brave, but when the top of his head was lower than Danny's shoulders, it didn't really work.

"Say that again." Danny dared Liz's clone.

Leon look up into Danny's eyes, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Danny smirked and messed up Leon's hair, taking a seat at the island in the kitchen.

"I see you're feeling better." Dani smiled, sitting on the counter next to him.

Danny shrugged. "Meh."

"You hungry?" Cy asked. He was already planning on making breakfast for everybody, and if we were lucky, Danny would eat with us again.

Danny looked at the floor. "Not really no- humph!" His lips were parted as he said no when Dani shoved an apple in his mouth. Before he realized what was happening, Danny had bitten into the apple and was staring at Dani in shock.

BB laughed at the sight. Danny was sitting there, looking confused as a red apple hung from his mouth.

"Don't waste food Danny boy." His clone scolded. "I speak for everyone when we say we'd be disappointed if you wasted that entire apple after taking only a bite."

Danny didn't look happy about it, but agreed to eat the apple.

"So anyway," Robin turned back to the new kids. "You never finished your story."

Dani sipped her tea. "What more do you wanna know?"

Danny leaned on the table, propping his head up with a hand. "How about how you managed to track me down?"

Leon groaned. "With a _lot_ of work. We came back on your birthday because we were like 'hey, let's go with our main man a happy birthday'. So we went to Liz's first, but, ya know, she wasn't there. So we went to your house and you weren't there either, but we figured you were out celebrating or something. So we hung out until your family got home. And you'll never guess where they came from."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Like I care."

"Danny..." Dani looked at him with concern. "Do your parents know you're alive? Does Jazz?"

"Jazz does." I piped up. "We met her a while ago."

Danny looked at me, but didn't question it. "They know full well I'm alive. They just don't care."

Dani looked at him like he was an idiot. "Danny, they spent you're 15th birthday at the cemetery. They think you're dead!"

Danny scoffed. "That's BS. They watched Liz and I get carted away by the Guys In White."

Leon walked over, arms crossed. "They don't think that was actually you. The GIW told them you two died! They think you're dead Danny, don't you think they should know you aren't?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because!" Danny snapped. "I moved on from them a long time ago. It took a long time but I finally accepted that I don't need them in my life, nor do I _want_ them in my life. Besides, if they think I'm dead then they've had years to move on too. If I showed up now it'd be difficult for them to accept."

He rubbed a had over his face. "Besides," He added. "It wouldn't be fair to them. There's still a huge chance that the GIW are gonna come back after me, and I'm pretty sure the next time they get me will be that last, one way or another."

"Danny!" Starfire placed her hand on his arm. "The men in white suites will not kidnap you again. We are our friends and we will not allow it!"

"Speaking of friends protecting you," Leon crossed his arms. "What happened to Sam and Tucker?"

Robin huffed. "I can answer that. They totally betrayed Danny and Liz."

Dani's mouth dropped. "W-what? They did?"

Danny finished his apple with a loud crunch, tossing the core in the trash. "Ok, let's stop this please. Long story short, Sam and Tucker helped the Guys in White take me and Liz, we got tortured, we escaped, came here, got captured and tortured again, Liz got shot, we got saved, and Liz died. The end, no happy ending, the GIW are gonna come after me again and given all the time they've been putting between then and now, this is gonna be a huge operation that we can't stop."

He looked at all the shocked faces in the room. "And when it happens, I don't _want_ you to try and stop it."

Robin looked concerned and hurt at the same time. "Danny-"

"Don't." Danny cut him off. "I'm serious. I know the Guys In White are going to come again. The fact is it's just a matter of time. When it happens, don't fight them. I don't want you getting hurt. I'd rather end this thing then fight for nothing."

"Nothing!" I almost dropped my tea. "Danny you are fighting for so much-"

"No, I'm really not. I'm fighting for Liz, because I made her a promise. Not for me, not for you, for her. And that's it. And all I promised to do was live. That doesn't mean surviving the Guys in White again. It means living."

"And you aren't even doing that!" I snapped, slamming my cup on the counter. "Danny are you really that selfish? You aren't living for Liz- you aren't living at all! You act like she is the meaning of life or something, but you don't honor it! 'I'm fighting for her' 'I made her a promise'- you are such a lier!"

"A lier?" He yelled back.

"YES! A _LIER!_ You say you're gonna try better but you DON'T! You say you're going to live life to the fullest BUT YOU DON'T! All you do is walk around like a hurt puppy who begs for scraps, then doesn't take them because they aren't good enough."

"I'm not begging for anything!"

"You are too! You're begging for death Danny!" I jabbed a finger on his chest. "You don't give a crap if you live or die anymore! When I first met you, you loved life and did not want yours to end. You lost your girlfriend BIG FREAKING DEAL! I've said it before and I'll say it again; SHE DIED SO MOVE ON! I mean God it's been almost a year! You need to snap out of it!"

"I'm TRYING TO MOVE ON!" Danny glared down at me. "Do you see this?" He waved his arms around. "I'm talking to you people! I'm out here, playing video games, saving people, eating meals, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?"

"Guys'" BB stepped forward. "Chill."

Cyborg slowly pulled him back.

"I want you to try! I want you to do all this for YOU; not Liz, not me, not the homeless guy down the street, YOU! If you aren't doing it for you then you aren't trying. I want to see you be you again Danny." I turned my back to him, folding my arms. "That's all I want."

I could feel Danny's ice cold glare on my back. "Well," He turned and walked out of the room. "Then I hope you're prepared for disappointment."


	17. Ghost science- Danny

Chapter 17 Danny

"Danny, wait!" I heard Leon call out. I didn't want to ignore him, but at the same time, I _really_ didn't need another person shouting in my face. Yeah, Raven was trying to help- or whatever. It wasn't working.

A chill rushed through my body and for a second, I thought I heard someone laugh. I spun around, but no one was there. When I turned back around, Leon was in front of me, hands on his hips, glaring at me.

"What was that?" He snapped.

It took me a second to answer. His face was twisted into the same scowl that Liz would wear when annoyed. I almost asked if he was Liz, but then I blinked and he just looked like Leon again.

"What was what?"

"Don't play dumb with me Danny." Leon rested back on his heels; he'd been standing on his toes in order to look me in the face. "What was that whole yelling thing in the kitchen?"

I pushed past him and kept on walking.

"Danny!" Leon ran after me. "I'm serious! Will you hang on for a second and talk to me!?"

"Not in the mood for talking, sorry."

I turned and looked at the kid. He was staring at me with narrowed eyes. He looked so much like Liz, it hurt. Finally he shrugged, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Fine. We won't talk."

"Thank you." I let out a sigh of relief.

"But I'm not leaving you alone."

I almost argued with him, but I didn't. It wouldn't have made a difference. He followed me all the way up to the roof. The city looked beautiful in the mid-day light. There are a fire truck's siren screaming in the distance, but since the tower was silent, I knew we didn't have to be anywhere.

Leon sat down on the edge of the roof, looking at the city. "It's really a cool place." He said. "Is that a pier carnival thing? Like back in Amity?"

"Yeah."

"Those rides look sick!"

"Last time I went there, I nearly died _and_ got sick."

Leon laughed. "Too much junk food?"

I lifted a shoulder, offering him a small smile. "More like this creepy guy showed up, tried to kill us all, and thus dropped me, Liz, Robin, and Cyborg into grossly contaminated water."

Leon wrinkled his nose. "Yuck. Did you get the guy arrested?"

I shook my head. "He's been a pain in the titans side for a while. Slade. He's really creepy. He seemed to know me and Liz, if you can believe that."

The kid just shuddered. "Yikes. Maybe he heard about you guys in some creepy villain underground blog or something? Word on the street is that people have been looking for Liz."

"I know Vlad was. He sent a Vladbot after us."

Leon looked at me strangely. "What?"

"Yeah. A while ago it found us. That's how we figured out Robin wasn't Robin."

"Danny," Leon turned to face me. "Vlad was taken by the Guys In White before you and Liz were. He's the one who gave you two up."

"He was there when Liz and I were taken..."

Leon shook his head. "Dani and I looked for you guys for two years Danny. Vlad hasn't been free in a long, _long_ time. As far as we can figure, Vlad's dead."

"But he's the mayor of Amity park! He's like, one of the richest men on the planet! Wouldn't people notice he was gone?"

Leon looked down, his face sober. "Danny, a lot has changed in that town."

"The titans were there- they came and broke Liz and I out."

"It's a miracle they made it out." Leon looked back at Jump City. "No one is allowed to leave once they're in that town. The Guys In White have gone crazy. The government took over Amity Park- everyone living there is prisoner. The GIW can experiment on any human they want. They can't use the internet- literally everything is run by the Guys In White."

I didn't saw anything- I was too shocked to. How did the Guys in White- the wimpiest, weirdest, branch of Government manage to take over an entire town?

"Didn't people notice when they couldn't get a hold of their friends and family?"

Leon reached in his back pocket and pulled out a phone. The screen was cracked and the case was only held together by duct tape, but it turned on none the less. After tapping on the screen for a few minutes, he handed the phone to me.

"That should explain some stuff." He said quietly.

_Tragic end to city- Gov. promises more research_

_By Mason Corthill_

_Today, we mourn the loss of the small New York town of Amity Park. The town that was once filled with life has been leveled by the worst tornado the state has seen to date._

_No survivors can be found._ _Only t_ _he government buildings survived, preserving_ _the valuable research kept there. The main branch stationed there, known as the GIW, are responsible for protecting the world from threats such as the mutant_ _ghost boy_ _and his female accomplice. The GIW promise that they will continue to fund their research is what now wi_ _l_ _l be known as 'Area Amity', as they try to stop more mutants from threatening humanity, and learning more about them._

_We send our deepest condolences to the friends and families who have lost someone dear to them today. Below is the list of casualties._

The rest of the article was full of names. Names I knew. Paulina, Mr. Lancer, my parents; even my next door neighbor was mentioned as being dead. My heart skipped a beat as I got to the M section. _Masters, Elizabeth. Masters, Vladimir._

"Is my name here?" I asked. Leon nodded. "Dani and I found that in your sisters bedroom."

"So it's not true then, right? Jazz isn't dead?"

Leon shook his head. "None of them are. The town is still there, and it looks as normal as ever. But there's a 24/7 ghost shield up so Vlad can't escape, and the people... Well, they have ways of being kept inside."

"But wouldn't they realize Liz and I were gone?"

"They do. They think you guys died fighting your ghost halves. And the GIW control them so much, I don't think they realize Vlad isn't there.

I blinked. "But there isn't a ghost shield. I literally flew out of that town in my ghost form."

"Was it raining?"

"Well yeah but-"

"It tends to spazz out during harsh weather like that."

I sat down hard on the roof. It was hard to believe that the town was in such a state. It was not only scary, but it terrified me to think that this entire fiasco was because of me and Liz.

"I should have died." I whispered. Leon's eyes went wide.

"What!?"

"If I had died, none of this would have happened. If Liz and I had just accepted the fact that we were as good as dead, non of this would have happened. We enslaved an entire city!"

Leon sat next to me, scooting up further so he could dangle his legs over the edge of the roof. "You guys didn't do this."

"Didn't we?" I snapped. "Amity never would have even become a legit ghost town if I hadn't turned on the ghost portal! And if I hadn't turned on the portal then the Guys in White wouldn't be there! Maybe humanity would be better off if I never existed."

"Danny..."

"What am I even doing, being here, trying to be a hero? The Titans got on fine without Liz and I! In fact their lives got more difficult when Liz and I popped up. I bet they wish they'd left us-"

My cheek stung. My mouth was still parted but my head was turned. Leon was glaring at me.

He just slapped me!

"What was that!"

"You need to stop." He said firmly. "You didn't do anything bad to Amity Park. You didn't enslave those people, and you have helped the Titans. Stop throughing yourself a pity party Danny. And while I may sound like Raven when I say this- GROW UP!"

I looked at him, my finger tips gently running over the stinging flesh of my cheek.

"You _are_ a hero Danny. Start acting like one. Please."

"How? How do I act like a hero Leon? How do I do it?"

Leon looked at me, his eyes locked on mine. "First, you move on from... from _her._ " His voice broke. "And yeah, it's gonna be hard and it will hurt like hell but you have to do it. And then, you act like yourself; the selfless, space loving geek who refuses to let anyone get hurt."

"Then what?"

Leon smiled. "You remind the world why they loved Danny Phantom in the first place. You already convinced Jump city; they know you're here and yet they let you stay. And once the world realizes the mistake they made with hating you, we can save Amity park."

I looked at the rolling waves under the tower. Water crashed onto the pointed rocks. "You think we can do it?"

Leon smiled hopefully. "I know we can Danny. I know _you_ can."

"How do I move on from Liz?"

"I dunno," Leon laughed awkwardly. "But I think we can figure something out." He stood up, and in a flash of light he turned into his ghost form.

His hair was purple, as were his eyes. His jeans were black, his shirt was purple, and his distressed vest was black. He cracked his knuckles and smiled, nudging me with his purple booted foot.

"Come on ghost boy, lets fly."

I froze for a moment. Leon's voice hadn't sounded like his own. It was higher, more feminine. It was sounded like Liz. What was creepier was the fact that that was the exact sentence Liz has said the first time I ever met her.

"W-what did you say?"

Leon cocked his head to the side. "I... I don't know. What _did_ I say?" I shrugged. "Meh, whatever. C'mon Danny boy."

I stood up and went ghost, smiling at Leon. The kid looked at at me, a goofy grin on his face. "Let's mess around! Go crazy!"

He took off into the sky, flipping a few times before staying on his back, looking at me expectantly. "Coming?"

I jumped off the roof, flying in circles around Leon.

"Alright ghost kid," I joked. "Let's see if you learned anything since I've been away."

His eyes lit up. "Dude you have _no idea_ what kind of cool tricks I have now!"

"Well?" I sat back in the air. "Show me!"

Leon flew back a few feet before taking a deep breath. My eyes widened. _Did he learn to do a ghostly wail!?_

I braced myself to be blown back by a wail, and then to rush forward and catch him when he worked himself to exhaustion.

Leon's cheeks were puffed up. I covered my ears. Finally, Leon leaned forward, opened his mouth, and yelled.

Instead of the ghostly wail, the sound of harsh wind filled my ears. Leon was creating gale force winds.

The water he had pointed his attack at was spinning- he was practically creating a tornado! Fish and water spun up, rising above the surface of the ocean. Rocks from the base of the tower lifted up, the wind blowing them away.

After a few minutes, the attack stopped. The wind died down and Leon closed his mouth. Instead of passing out from exhaustion, he turned and smiled at me, panting.

"Well?" He gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Was that awesome or what?"

He laughed when he saw me. My hair was a mess.

"Yeah," I nodded, awestruck. "Yeah, that was pretty awesome. How'd you learn that!?"

Leon flew over, still trying to catch his breath. "Dani and I were trying to see if we had any of those really cool extra powers you and Liz have. You know, the wail, the electricity, the teleportation, and the snow stuff."

I nodded.

"So anyway Dani was trying to do the ghostly wail but she couldn't. So I tried it. And suddenly I was causing a tornado."

"How are you not like, totally wiped out though? The wail _still_ drains me!"

"It took me a while to master it," Leon admitted. "The first time almost killed me. I have to take in enough air because whether or not I like it, the attack always last for exactly 90 seconds. If I don't take enough air in then it sucks the air out of me. Which, you know is kinda bad because you need air to breathe."

"Damn son!" I laughed. "That's really cool! Do you think I could control the wail?"

Leon shook his head. "Probably not. While Dani and I were looking for you, we ended up training in the ghost zone for a while. We actually learned what the wail is and what our 'wails' are and how they work."

I was impressed. I had always secretly wanted to be trained by other ghosts. Sure I could train myself all I wanted, but all I could do was improve the areas I knew existed.

"Well? Tell me about it! Educate me!"

"The wails focus on a certain powerful aspect in yourself. It latches onto that aspect and amplifies it using your body as a power source. That's why they can be so tiring; your body is basically the battery for the attack. My wail thinks the air is one of the most powerful tools at my disposal, so it takes the air within me and makes it stronger. It's also my elemental power I guess you could say. I can make wind appear out of nowhere and then control it.

"Dani has a wail/elemental power combo too; hers is water. That's why you might notice her drinking an insane amount of water. Since she's one of those weird people who basically drinks nothing but the stuff, her body figured she might as well do something useful with it. If she's not dehydrated she can do a.. well I guess it's a 'water wail'." Leon shrugged. "Her name, not mine."

"Wow." I brushed my bangs out of my face. "That's both insane and weird."

Leon nodded in agreement.

"But my wail and my... 'element power'." What a dumb name. "Aren't connected at all."

Leon shrugged. "Clockwork said that was possible. Rare, but possible."

"So then what is my wail amplifying?"

The clone looked confused. "You don't know?"

"To be fair, I didn't know a thing about wails until about two seconds ago."

Leon shook his head. "Dude you need to learn about your species. Your wail literally makes your power more powerful."

"That... makes no sense whatsoever."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Yeah it does, but I'll explain it to you anyways. You weren't born or created with powers, thus your body recognizes it as being the most powerful thing you have at your disposal. So when you wail, you are _literally_ releasing waves of pure ghost energy. If you were in the ghost zone, it wouldn't be _as_ effective, but it could still do damage. In the human world, a world without ghost energy, it can cause major destruction."

"I'm releasing power?"

Leon nodded. "That's why it takes so much out of you. You can't really prepare you body for using a ton of energy to create highly concentrated power. But seriously dude, you have an _awesome_ wail."

"Leon, you are really smart, you know that?" He blushed.

"Not really, I just paid attention to what Clockwork told us. Did you know every ghost has a wail?"

"That's not true. Liz didn't have one."

"Yeah she did." Leon sighed. "God you are annoying uneducated. Basically hers was electricity and instead of expelling that energy via the mouth, she used her hands."

I thought about it for a moment, and it sort of made sense. Liz was always careful with using that power because doing too much of it drained her.

"But how did she harness electricity from her body?" I asked. "You said wails come from your body."

"The body creates all kinds of electrical impulses. Hers were strong enough to be an attack."

I massaged my temples. "You know, that's enough ghost science for today. Wanna go freak the titans out?"

Leon grinned. "abso-freaking-lutely!"


	18. 8 am training- Raven

Chapter 18 Raven

I regret ever telling Danny to stop moping around. Apparently it was better when I hardly ever saw him because for the rest of the night, he was all I saw.

He and Leon ran around the tower, pulling worse pranks than BB and Cyborg combined. It was annoying.

They would go invisible and chase Beast boy around with a ham, screaming that BB had to protect the animal. Leon 'overshadowed' Cyborgs computer and made the robot dance around like a chicken. Starfire's beloved mustard exploded in her face as an unseen ghost squeezed the bottle.

And then there was me. They seemed to enjoy pranking me. I had been sitting in the couch with my cloak tossed over the back. They picked it up and chased me around, freaking me out until I realized who it was.

Danny even possessed a toy bat, because BB just had to have one of those, and snuck up on Robin, claiming to be Batman. Thanks to that prank, BB no longer has a toy bat.

Eventually it was Dani-with-an-i that calmed them down. She too went ghost, because you can't be unseen if the person looking for you is also unseen, and chased them down. They were laughing like crazy, which is probably why they didn't receive a huge punishment.

Danny was laughing. As in on the floor, holding his stomach, tears streaming from his face, can't breath, can't speak, genuine laughter.

I think Starfire actually cried from happiness.

After the pranking stopped we all ate dinner. Danny and Dani helped Cyborg make a build-it-yourself taco buffet, with tofu beef for Beast boy.

Leon was teaching Starfire how to play Concentration with their hands, and BB was in his dog form, running around the kitchen barking until someone would 'accidentally' drop some food for him. That left Robin and I sitting on the couch. Both of us were reading.

"I think this is one of the rare times I've seen you without your cloak."

I looked at Robin. "I didn't really want to wear it today."

Robin smiled at me. "Well I like it. You look nice without it. I mean you look nice with it too, but you look more confident without it."

I looked down at myself. "Really?"

Robin nodded. "Definitely."

"I think so too!" Danny called from the kitchen and he cut up small bits of tomato. "You should go without it more often."

I blushed as the rest of the team and the clones shouted out their agreements.

After we ate, we all crammed onto or around the couch, settling in to watch TV. People slowly began to trickle out of the room to go to their beds; first Starfire, then Beast Boy, then Cyborg. Dani and Leon were already asleep, curled up on the floor.

Danny stood up and stretched, yawning. He draped a blanket over the clones before bidding us goodnight and heading to Robins room to sleep on the bean bag chair.

"Are you ever going to kick him out of your room?" I asked Robin. The boy shrugged.

"Probably not. I don't mind him being there- it's actually kind of nice. We connect, ya know?"

I laughed and poked his arm. "He isn't your boyfriend is he?"

Robin shoved me playfully. "No! It's _bromance_ not _romance_!"

"Suuuuuuuure! Whatever you gotta say to save your pride!"

Robin laughed harder than he should have- a clear sign he was tired.

"You need to go to sleep."

"Why?"

"Because you're tired and it's almost midnight."

Robin gasped as he realized what time it was. He stood up and told me I was right and ran off to bed.

"Boy scout." I giggled to myself.

Slowly I floated back to my room, burying myself in my cozy blankets.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

"WAKE UP!" Robin shouted in my ear. I bolted upright in bed, startled.

The titans were all in my room, each looking like walking zombies, except for Cyborg.

"What time is it?" I yawned.

"7:30." Leon said bitterly.

"So why are you waking me up?"

Robin smiled and pulled me up from my bed. "We're having a team meeting!"

"BOO YA!" Cyborg grinned. "Breakfast _and_ a team meeting!"

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "Why is that a good thing?"

"A great start to a great day!" Cyborg announced.

I rolled my eyes. Starfire was stretching with bird Beast Boy perched on her shoulder. Dani and Leon were both half asleep, leaning on Danny. Danny himself didn't look too tired; he looked more annoyed than anything else.

Slowly, we all followed Robin into the living room where breakfast was being served.

"I made eggs and bacon!" Cyborg announced. When he received a glare from Beast Boy he added, "And waffles."

"You guys listen to while you eat." Robin instructed. "We've been getting complacent. So much has been going on with our personal lives that we're forgetting to be heroes. Jump is starting to wonder if we're still here! So, every morning at 8 we're gonna have combat practice. And we're going on daily crime patrol. This is our city, and we have to make sure people remember that."

Dani-with-an-i raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't that backfire though? I mean, maybe the badies have been staying away because it doesn't seem like anyone cares about the city. Ever notice that badies only attack places someone has opted to protect?"

Leon nodded. "Besides, isn't the point of being heroes keeping people safe? The more you guys act like regular teens, the calmer this place seems to be."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't think that's what this is at all."

Danny picked at his bacon- he still wasn't eating as much as he should have been. "Then why has the crime been so quiet?"

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in frustration. Even the boy wonder needed a good nights sleep to be functional.

"I think something big is gonna happen soon." Robin confessed. "It's like the calm before the storm, ya know? I mean, what are the chances of there being this little activity?"

I placed my hands on my hips. "Come to think of it, everyone went kinda quiet after Liz died."

Danny's head snapped up. "What is that supposed to mean!?"

"She didn't mean anything bad Danny," Cyborg reasoned. "She was just pointing something out."

Leon dropped his fork on his plate, nearly giving himself whiplash as he turned to his fellow clone. "Dani, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Dani-with-an-i nodded. "All that talk?"

Danny looked at them strangely. "What in the heck are you guys talking about?"

Dani looked up as everyone moved in closer to her. "I don't know much," she said softly. "But... well, there are a lot of websites that are buried deep within the internet that badies use to communicate with each other. You know, like evil think tanks.

"Anyways, almost a year ago there was talk about the 'golden age' and how to stay 'silver' when it happens."

"What does that even mean!?" BB whined.

"Dunno." Dani admitted. "But it was around the time Liz...died..."

Starfire looked around. "What could this be about?"

Robin frowned. "I dunno. But we gotta figure out more. I didn't even know websites like that existed!" He turned and looked at Cyborg. "Think you could get access?"

Leon scoffed. "Not that easy. You gotta be a legit bad guy to get into these discussions. They have the best hackers world wide keeping it safe."

"Then... how did you get access?" I asked.

Leon pulled out a phone- or what used to be a phone. The screen was absolutely shattered, and the case was basically duck tape.

"This was Vlad's phone." Dani-with-an-i explained. "Leon and I picked it up when we were looking for Danny. We got Technis to hack in to it so we could use it."

Cyborg plucked the phone from Leon's grasp. "What kinda phone is it?" He wanted to know. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"It's a VladBerri" Danny informed him. "It's a phone he created for himself. He used to sell them online too- Jack was obsessed with his."

Robin grabbed it next. "It's really high tech."

Leon nodded. "Yeah, Vlad went all out."

"How'd it get so beat up?" I asked, wrinkling my nose at the condition.

Leon blushed at look at the ceiling with an awkward laugh. "Funny story-"

"It fell out of his pocket while he was flying." Dani cut him off.

Starfire laughed at that. We all finished breakfast, except Danny, who declared he didn't want anything else despite only eating half his meal. Robin lead us out to our old training course outside.

"We haven't used this in forever!" Cy stated, looking around with pride.

"Not since Terra..." BB said under his breath. I was probably the only one who heard him. I noticed him staring at some of the rocks, no doubt remembering the way she had been able to move them.

"Alright!" Robin announced, pressing the button to automatically raise the course. "Let's get this started!"

Danny and the clones yelped and jumped out of the way as metal walls and blasters began to emerge from the ground.

After an hour Robin declared we had trained hard enough on the course, and we walked inside. He really had been pushing every single person present. By the end of it all 9 of us were sweaty and tired. Despite my less than subtle protests, Robin had pushed Danny just as hard as the rest of us.

"We don't seen to treat him like he's made of glass," Robin had said as Danny raced BB around the track. "The less we act like somethings wrong, the less he'll feel like somethings wrong. Babying him just makes things worse."

And that's the story of how Danny totally wore himself out. Then again, everyone was worn out, including me. Robin even pushed the clones to the breaking point; he'd even called them 'official members of the team'.

Everyone left to shower. When I came back, Cy and BB were the only ones in the living room. Cyborg was creaming BB at the video game they were playing.

"Do you know where everyone is?" I asked. "I'm gonna wash some clothes so if anyone has any darks to wash we can get them all done."

BB scoffed. "Please, washing clothes washes all the luck out of them! I only ever wash clothes when I loose a battle."

I gagged at the thought as his video game character died. Cy laughed and BB growled as I left the room. I knew for a fact that Starfire didn't own a single article of clothing that wasn't come bright, primary color, so I didn't bother asking her. The clones didn't really have any other clothes then what was on their back, so I skipped them too.

"Robin?" I knocked on the boys door. It opened, so I stepped inside. "Do you have any-"

Startled yelps cut me off. Robin and Danny were in the room, half naked, looking for clothes to wear.

For a while, all three of us just stood there awkwardly, staring at each other. Robin was in his bright white briefs, standing in front of his closet, eyes exposed without his mask. His hair was still damp and was sticking out at odd angles without the use of his hair gel.

Danny was half bent over, frozen mid pose as he rooted around one of Robin's drawers. His hair was dripping wet, droplets flowing down his chiseled chest, all the way down to his black boxers. A towel hung around his neck.

Suddenly, all three of us seemed to realize what was happening. Robin lunged for his mask, tripping over a discarded boot. Danny jumped away from the dresser, falling backwards. The boys collided and fell on each other in front of Robins bed, getting their limbs tangled as the both tried to scramble away.

My cheeks burned as I heard the unmistakeable sound of my team mates sprinting towards us.

"Everything ok?" Cy asked, skidding to a stop.

"What crashed?" BB demanded.

The both looked into the room, and their seriousness melted away. Cyborg was the first one to burst out laughing. Not one minute later Starfire and the clones were outside the door too, everyone on the floor laughing as Robin and Danny tried in vain to explain while trying to get up.

Eventually the two detangled themselves and shooed everyone else away, rushing to get dressed. We all retreated to the living room, all feeling fresh and utterly embarrassed.

"That was the best thing I've seen all week." BB declared.

"I wish I had taken a graph of photos." Starfire giggled. "For future use of the black mail."

Cyborg tapped his head. "Gotcha covered Star." He turned and walked out of the room. "Gotta wax the T- car!" He called over his shoulder. As soon as he walked out, Robin and Danny walked in. Leon burst out laughing again.

"That was a beautiful performance," He joked. "But where was the final kiss?"

Danny punched him in the stomach, the proceeded to sit on the clone until he got an apology.

The rest of the hour was uneventful. We all sat in a somewhat awkward silence watching day time TV, not really knowing what to do or say.

"WHOSE UP FOR SOME BASKETBALL!" Cyborg challenged, jumping in front of the TV. No one but Robin wanted to play, so the rest of us agreed to sit on the side lines and help cheer them on.

Robin ended up winning, and after lunch everyone decided to do some more training- just not as intense. Danny and Leon sparred, as did Dani-with-an-i and Robin, BB practiced running as a cheetah, and I just meditated. Over in the corner Cy and Star lifted weights. I suppressed a laugh when Star lifted more than Cy with just one of her hands.

Leon complained that he was tired of training and wanted to play soccer instead. He, Danny, Dani, Beast boy and Robin left to the roof to play. Starfire decided to spend some time with silky. I was going to meditate more, or read some books, but Cyborg offered to play chess with me. He wasn't really that good, but it was nice to have someone to play my favorite game with.

Shortly after, BB and the rest of the team came back inside, complaining about how the game had been played. Everyone thought it was fair except BB, who had apparently lost.

The rest of the evening was relaxing; as promised Robin left with Danny, his clone, and Star for a daily crime sweep.

"Hey, can I try fixing the VladBerri of yours?" Cy asked Leon.

The blue haired kid bit his lower lip. "You think you can do it?"

Cyborg scoffed. "Between me and Robin, of course we can!"

"They hacked the pentagon once." I added. "Of course, it was just to get a game early but whatever."

Leon laughed. "Yeah sure! If you can fix the phone that'd be awesome."

Cyborg promised to look at it after he was done beating Beast Boy at their daily video game tournament. The crime sweep team come back, proudly carrying a dozen boxes of pizza for dinner.

"Today was a good day!" Dani raised her glass. "We trained, we had a few laughs, and Leon and I found a team. I feel a great connection here guys. Cheers!"

With a laugh, everyone toasted to the good day. Then we all went to bed.

"Aw man," Cyborg pouted as we walked down the hall together. "The day's already over and I only got through half the stuff I wanted to do!"

"Maybe if you didn't waste so much time on video games-"

"I mean there's gotta be another way to do more!" He didn't even listen to me.

I shrugged and leaned in his doorway. "You really think you can fix the phone?"

"Sure, if I ever get time." Cyborg sighed as he flipped on the TV. Suddenly, an infomercial started playing.

"WISHING YOU COULD DO THE MAXIMUM?" The man on the TV asked.

"Uh... yeah," Cy leaned forward.

"That's my cue to leave. Night Cyborg- don't spend money on anything stupid."

So of course, he went and spent money on something stupid.


	19. Maxium 7- Danny

Chapter 19 Danny

"IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!" Cyborg ran through the house screaming that over and over. We had just finished our second day of 8 AM training when the door bell rang, setting off the Cyborg screams.

"What's here?" Robin asked, clearly as confused as the rest of us.

"My brand new super cool, super fast, super powerful maximum 7!"

"What the hell is that?" Leon muttered, taking a long sip from his cup of coffee.

"What _is_ a maximum 7?" Starfire agreed, looking at the large box Cyborg had carried in.

"It's a new computer processor, 8 times faster than the maximum 6!" Robin and Dani said in unison, each looking at the box in awe, a nerdy twinkle in their eye.

"Are we updating the Titan computer?" Robin questioned.

 _"No!_ " Cyborg smiled wide. "We're upgrading me! With the maximum 7 I'll be able to do more, see more, and get more outta life than ever!" He patted the shipping crate proudly.

"Dude, you actually wanna do _more_? My goal in life in maximum couch time!" BB jumped on the couch and reclined back with a content sigh.

Robin frowned. "I understand wanting to live life to the fullest, but putting a chip in your brain?"

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is a bad idea." I folded my arms over my chest. "How do you know you won't get some weird virus thing from that?"

Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, before I even ordered the thing I ran a complete diagnostic. The Max 7 is 100% compatible with all my systems! Totally safe!"

He broke the crate open with his shoulder, revealing the chip inside.

Dani and Robin leaned in with dumbstruck awe, as if they had seen the most beautiful thing in the world. The rest of us just looked at it in confusion.

"Yeah," Raven agreed sarcastically. "That looks _totally_ safe."

"Look at how small it is!" Dani gushed. "Omg just look at it!"

"I know!" Robin agreed. The rest of their fangirling session was blocked out as Cyborg took the chip and left to his room to instal it.

A couple of hours later, the titan siren was wailing.

"Who, or _what_ is that guy?" Dani asked, looking at the human car on the computer screen.

"Abdomus." Said Starfire.

"Why does he look like the product of a drag queen having a baby with a car?" Leon laced his fingers behind his head. "I mean, seriously, what the hell?"

"Language," I muttered, smacking him upside the head.

"Well?" Cyborg poked his head in the room. "Are we going or what!?"

We went, just in different ways. The titans piled in the car, while us ghosts flew. Cyborg really needs to work on making a T- minivan or a T- party bus so all of us can fit in one ride.

Abdomus is a strange guy. Like, box ghost category strange. We found him at an out door gym near the pier, literally throwing weights around. He sounded like a suffer dude and had the single most obnoxious laugh in the world. I nearly kissed Cyborg when he blasted the man-car, effectively shutting him up.

"What's the matter Abdomus?" Robin teased. "Starting to feel the burn?"

"Yikes," Dani hissed. "I thought your puns were bad!"

"You weaklings don't stand a chance!" Abdomus cried, digging his metal hands into an empty bus behind him. "Abdomus has upgraded!"

He launched the bus at us, sending us running to avoid being hit. Cyborg stayed standing where he was, blasting the bus in half.

"So have I!" He announced.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled from wherever he was.

"YO MAN CAR!" Leon shouted, waving to get his attention. "TONY STARK CALLED, HE WANTS HIS CAR BACK!" Before he had a chance to fire any sort of ghost attack at Abdomus, Robin started charging him.

Man-car lifted all the remaining weights we could and tossed them, letting the weights rain down on us. Robin, being the boy wonder he is, was able to dodge them all without being thrown off course. However, he didn't actually get to land an attack.

In the split second before Robin would have kicked Abdomus in his annoyingly prepubescent face, Cyborg jumped out of nowhere and knocked the villain to the side.

"WHOA! BOO YAY!" Cyborg smiled at Robin. "High five for the assist!"

With furrowed brows, Robin lightly placed his hand on Cyborgs, clearly confused. It had barely even touched before Cyborg ran off, kicking up sand behind him.

"Hi there!" He said brightly as he raced past Starfire, who was firing her Starbolts at Abdomus. Her bolts didn't even have a chance to touch him before Cyborg was there, beating him senseless.

Abdomus picked up another weight bar and chucked it at Raven. "Azerath metrion-"

"ZINTHOS!" Cyborg leaped in front of her, grabbed the weight, and sent it flying back at the attacker.

"Should we be helping?" Dani asked.

"I think we'd slow him down, if anything." Leon said. "Is he always like that?"

I shook my head. "No, he's not."

The three of us lowered to the ground, switching back to our human forms. Dani's costume hadn't changed much over the years, but instead of being black and gray it was now black and green. The only big difference was that her hair turned the same neon green as her eyes.

I watched as BB, in the form of a T- rex (Yes Leon, he's a dinosaur. No Leon, you may not ride him.) took his turn to charge the man-car. But, just as with all the others, Cyborg jumped out in front of him, attacking Abdomus.

"Dude!" BB yelped, wiping the sand out of his eyes as Cyborg chased the man-car. "Cyborg is more Cyborgy than ever!"

"Agreed," Said Starfire, standing next to him. "He now opens ever larger cans of the butt whoop."

No one even bothered trying to help Cyborg as the teen robot tore apart Abdomus' suit, leaving a tiny little feeble man laying face down in the sand.

"Alright!" He pumped a fist in the air. "We beat the bad guy! Oh, and just in time for dinner!"

"So..." Robin drawled uncomfortably. "I guess that chip works?"

Cyborg nodded. "You bet it does! With this thing running my circuits, I can do more than ever!" He pressed a button on his arm, and the T-car drove itself over to us. "Hop it! We're going for ice cream!"

Everyone piled into the car- all freakin' 9 of us. And yes, we did go out for ice cream. With sprinkles, obviously.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

I hated this new 8AM combat training. I was never awake enough to actually do my best. Besides, the course had been made for the _titans_ , not three teenage ghosts. It wasn't fit to train us in the way we were used too.

At least, that was my excuse for getting tired faster than the rest. Obviously people avoided the elephant in the room by not mentioning that Dani and Leon were perfectly fine. Maybe that was why I pushed so hard- so I didn't look weak in front of anybody. They already thought I was a kicked puppy; it almost made me happy to workout so hard. The sore muscles, and lack of energy, however, were not my favorite thing.

Today, however, I didn't even get a chance on the course. Cyborg all but annihilated it in less than a minute. He wasn't kidding when he said the max 7 would make him stronger and faster. It was almost terrifying to see how powerful he was now.

Training didn't even last a full hour. Cyborg was beating BB at video games as Dani and Robin worked together to try and fix the training course. He beat BB a total of 25 times in 15 minutes before running off to 'supe up the T- car'. Not even an hour later he turned one of the many empty rooms in the tower into a game room, stocked with a mini snack bar, arcade games, and an air hockey table that tripled as air hockey, pool, and ping pong.

Half an hour later he was up on the roof top, once again playing Robin in a game of basket ball. And unlike before, this time _Robin_ got creamed.

It was insane watching him run around and do stuff. At 11:15 he invited us to come with him to his surfing class, to which only Dani accompanied him too. They were back by noon, and Cy brought home an entire sandwich buffet for us all.

While he was eating he read on the online Jump newspaper that there was a little league baseball team that needed a stand in umpire and coach. Leon agreed to go with Cy to coach the kids.

After the game was over we received a call asking us to come to the local school to see Cyborg compete in a spelling bee.

"Autophanous," the robot grinned on stage, leaning into the mic. "A-u-t-p-h-a-n-o-s. Autophanous!"

When we got home, he once again beat Beast boy at a video game before running off with Starfire to learn how to speak Tamaranian.

Later, while I was watching a TV show with the clones and Starfire, a commercial aired that featured Cyborg.

"Remember," The Cyborg on the TV said. "If you're not grilling with CY BQ sauce, you just ain't grilling!" The monotonous voice at the end declared that CY BQ sauce the official marinade of the Teen titans.

"I thought our official marinade was zorbrian spider juice." Starfire said, turning to look at Cy, who was engaged in a chess match with Raven.

"Yeah, but that because you slobflog oo moptarn!" Cy smirked. Starfire laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Moptarn," She repeated.

"CHECK MATE!" Cyborg cheered, beating Raven for the first time ever. "Well, gotta run! Paces to go, things to do!" And he zipped out of the room, leaving a stunned Raven behind.

"Dude, I'm getting tired just watching you!" Beast Boy sighed. "Slow down!"

"No way!" Cyborg said, stopping in front of the door. "Thanks to the max 7 I'm having the time of my life!"

Leon looked at the robot. "But you realize that you're basically running on the robot equivalent of steroids, right?"

Before Cy could respond, the titan alarm wailed.

"I think we jinxed our down time." BB muttered. "We started morning training and BOOM! Two days in a row we've had to fight!"

"Just come on," I snapped, herding everyone out the door. "Let's just get this over with!"

It was yet another bad guy that I had never heard of. He looked like a rip off of the flash. He was about as tall as I was when I was 14, and looked just as scrawny. His costume was skin tight and bright red, and he had dark shades hiding his eyes. His costume covered his from head to toe, the only part of him we could actually see was the bottom half of his face.

"What's with the division mark?" Leon asked. On this weird guys chest was the sign you put when dividing something.

He was running out of a bank with a sack of money in hand.

"Alright, I have a skydiving lesson in 15 minutes," Cyborg cracked his knuckles. "Let's handle this one quick."

"Yall might be able to handle 1 Billy Numerous," The thief said in a heavy western accent. "But how about 10!"

Dani raised an eyebrow. "What did he just- holy mother of ice cream cookies, _what is he doing!_ "

I broke out of my fighting stance to look at her. "What the heck did you just say!?"

Leon tapped my shoulder. "What in the _holy hell_ is that guy doing?"

"Watch your mouth." I snapped, smacking him upside the head. I looked at where he was pointing and felt my jaw drop. There were 10 little red men now instead of 1.

"You're gonna be late for class," Raven told Cyborg.

"Yall might as well face the facts!" Numerous taunted us. "Yall might have a heaping pile of powers, but Billy Numerous has gotcha out numbered!"

"Great," Robin sighed. "Now we gotta deal with _ten_ of you annoying little freaks."

"Who can be in ten places at once!" BB yelped. "No even Cyborg could do that!"

"Watch me!" Cyborg snapped, charging at one of the ten Billy's that surrounded us. Before he hit the one he was after, it split into two Billy's, and Cy ran face first into a light pole.

Two of them attacked Robin, but he took them down. However, one stood back up with a smirk. "Bubba, you just opened up a six pack!" 6 Billy's pounced on Robin, knocking him to the ground.

Beast boy turned into an octopus and tried to pull them off his leader, but the Billy's multiplied again, jumping on him and trying to crush him. Starfire shot her bolts at them, but one jumped off a building and split mid-air, burying her under a pile of red weirdos.

Dani, Leon and I tried to split too, so that the numbers evened out just the slightest bit more, but it was hard to get a second long enough to focus our energy on that. Finally, Dani caught a break and split into 4 Dani's, each one attacking a Billy.

"Ever feel like we live in a really crazy world?" Leon asked as he punched away another Numerous.

"All the time," I offered him a smirk and slammed two Billy's heads together. "What makes you think of it now?"

"Well, I'm watching four of my best friend fight four little red men."

"Crazy world."

Raven used her powers to lift a larger garbage can out of an ally, and threw it at the Billy's.

"Right back atchya!" They three of them said together. The can hit raven and knocked her to the ground, trapping her as she tried pushing it off. More and more Billy's sat on top of it so it couldn't be moved.

"SCREW YOU BILLY!" Leon shouted, firing a ghost ray at him.

"Leon," I snapped, throughing a Billy back. "I swear to God if I have to tell you to watch you mouth one more time- oh sh-"

30 some Billy's jumped from the roof, screaming like Indians, tackling Leon and I to the hard pavement of the road.

Slowly, the entire team found themselves grouped together, backed against a wall.

"Well, this here's been a hum dinger all!" Billy smirked. "But I'm afraid it's time for ol' Billy to split." And just like that, all of them disappeared.

"Where'd they go!" BB gasped, looking both ways down the street.

"Not they, _he_." Robin corrected. "The original Billy is long gone... with all the loot."

"C'mon," Cyborg said bitterly. "We're wasting time."

We split into groups to look for Billy. Leon and Danny flew through the skies, Starfire and Raven flew in between buildings to see if Billy was inside, and Robin walked on foot with dog BB at his side. Cyborg and I got to ride around in the t car, looking down back ally's until the car was almost out of gas. At around 1 in the morning the team met up again, deciding to walk around on foot together.

We walked for a couple of hours with no luck. Leon and Dani had gotten too tired to walk, so I was carrying them both; Leon on my back, and Dani in my arms.

Starfire yawned from where she was floating. She fell asleep in the air and ran into a light post, bending the thing over without even trying.

"Is she ok?" Raven yawned.

Robin nodded. "She's just tired," He glanced around at all of us. "We all are."

BB nodded in agreement. "If I don't go to sleep before sun-rise, it seriously messes with my afternoon nap."

Robin thought about it for a moment, looking at the three team mates that were already asleep, then sighed. "Even if we were able to find Billy tonight, we'd be too tired to fight him. We need to sleep."

"No thanks." Cyborg scoffed. "I'm not letting some hillbilly human copy machine throw off my whole schedule for tomorrow!" He tapped his head. "I have the maximum. _I_ can keep going."

"No way." Robin said firmly. "We all need to rest- if we push ourselves too hard we'll only end up hurting our team and ourselves. We all need rest Cyborg, even you."

"No!" Cyborg snapped. "I can find him tonight- I'll be fine!"

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself anyways." Raven pointed out. "We all know it won't exactly be a one-on-one fight."

"We can't let him escape!" Cyborg argued. "Who knows what else he might steal tonight!"

"I'll stay with him." I said suddenly. Everyone looked at me.

"What? Dude, no. You heard what Robin said!" Beast Boy yawned. "You need rest too!"

"I'm not tired." I lied. "Besides, Cyborg is obviously going to stay out here whether you give him permission or not. He might as well have a buddy with him, just in case."

Robin gave us a long, hard stare before sighing. "I'm to tired to deal with this right now." He muttered. "Fine, you guys can stay out here. But only on a few conditions."

Cyborg looked at him impatiently.

"First, don't push yourselves to hard. If you get too tired, just come home. Second, you _have_ to call us if you find Billy, no matter what. I don't want the two of you fighting an army of Billy's by yourselves. And finally, be back at the tower by sunrise. That's when you _will_ sleep and that's when you will let the rest of us take over. Understood?"

Cy and I nodded. "Understood."

Robin sighed and walked over to me, gently taking Dani from my arms.

"Make sure they don't sleep on the floor tonight, ok?"

Robin nodded. "I promise, they'll be well taken care of." Raven helped pry Leon off my back, and the team drove home in the T car.

"You don't have to stay you know." Cyborg turned to me. "You're just as tired as the rest of them. Go home, Danny. I got this."

I shook my head. "No way man! I'm not gonna let you run around a city in the middle of the night by yourself! We're a team, ok?"

Cyborg looked a little shocked at my choice of words, then smiled, giving me a fist bump. "Yeah. We're a team."

He turned and pressed a few buttons on his arm and suddenly his circuits were glowing.

"What was that?" I asked. Cyborg shrugged indifferently.

"I just deleted a few old programs that were taking up energy."

"Is that safe?"

"Duh!" Cyborg started jogging down the street. "But can you do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure I guess"

Cyborg held his arm out to me. "Can you just press that green button?"

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Cyborg shrugged indifferently. "It helps me with tracking but my fingers are too big to press it. Normally I'd have Robin or BB do it but,"

I raised a hand to cut him off. "I get it. Here." I pressed the button.

"Thanks!" Cyborg smiled with determination. "C'mon, let's go find this guy!"


	20. Overdrive- Raven

Chapter 20 Raven

"RAVEN!" Someone pounded on my bedroom door. I rolled over and walked over, opening it.

"What?"

Robin was standing outside my door, still in his pajamas. I realized that this was the second time that Robin had seen me in my sleepwear; a sports bra and boy shorts. My cheeks burned, but I doubted he even noticed what I was wearing.

"It's 6 o'clock." He scowled. "At night! Either Cyborg and Danny didn't come home, or they didn't wake us up. Either way we gotta to figure out what happened." He turned and rushed away, probably to wake the other titans.

I changed as fast as I could and ran to the living room. My team was already there, staring in shocked silence.

"What is it?" I asked, moving in front of them.

It was honestly a creepy sight. Cyborg was sitting in front of the giant titan computer, the back of his head plugged into the machine. Danny was in a heap on the ground, surrounded by a dozen empty cups of coffee. One oh his eyes was swollen shut, he was covered in bruises, and the cast that had been covering his hand was torn apart. The skin was dry and discolored an ugly green. His clothes were roughed up- he looked like he'd been in a pretty serious fight.

"C- Cyborg?" Beast Boy said carefully. "What's goin' on buddy?"

"Friend," Starfire took a step towards him. "Did you not get any of the sleep?"

"Sleep is no longer required." Cyborg said in the most robotic voice I'd ever heard.

Everyone shared a concerned glance.

"What happened to Danny?" Leon asked, kneeling next to the older ghost.

Cyborg sent them a sideways glance. "There was a fight." Suddenly, a little red light flashed on the screen. "Numerous." He said coldly.

"But what about Danny!" Dani-with-an-i argued. "Is he gonna be ok?"

Cyborg stood. "We need to find Numerous."

No one had a chance to argue as he pushed us all out the door, leaving Danny, and a ton of questions, behind.

Cyborg drove the silent car towards the park. No one said anything- we were all too scared to. There was obviously something wrong with Cyborg, but at this point it seemed like a death sentence to bring it up.

"He was here." Cyborg stated in the middle of the trees. There was an empty bike rack surrounded by broken chains in front of him. Tracking systems popped out of his body. "Find him."

"Cyborg," Robin looked at his friend in concern. "It's great that you're working so hard, but I think something's wrong."

"You don't seem like... well, you don't seem like you." I risked adding.

Starfire nodded. "Your joyful smile is gone, you have ceased the 'Boo yay's"

"And you haven't told a joke all day!" Beast boy cried. "Seriously dude, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"I deleted unnecessary programs to power the maximum 7." Cyborg dead panned.

We watched him walk away, too shocked to follow. "You know..." Beast boy said sadly. "Cyborg's always had chips for brains, but he's becoming the one thing I never thought he could be."

"What's that?" Dani wanted to know.

"A robot."

For the rest of the day, we followed Cyborg around, trying to find Numerous. We tried calling Danny too, to make sure he was ok, but every time we did, Cyborg would give us a robotic death glare. He even went so far as to crush a phone when Leon tried to call Danny.

"You will not contact someone who could jeopardize our mission." Cyborg explained. "We need to find Billy Numerous."

"Jesus Christ, this dude is scary!" Leon all but whimpered.

Dani-with-an-i turned to look at Robin. "Do you think it has something to do with the max 7?"

Robin nodded. "I'm positive that's what this is. But I don't understand how this happened. Cyborg made sure his system were compatible with the max 7- I even checked the numbers myself! What went wrong?"

"He said he deleted programs," I reminded them. "Maybe that's why?"

Robin lifted a shoulder. "Maybe. But Cyborg had a safety system installed a long time ago that keeps certain programs from being deleted. He and someone else needed to authorize any and all programs safe to be deleted."

Leon's eyes widened. "Guys! Do you think... Do you think _Danny_ authorized it?"

Suddenly, Cyborg was lifting Leon off the ground by the front of his shirt. "We will not speak of the enemy." Cyborg informed him. "Stay focused on the mission. Dangers to the mission will be terminated."

My heart skipped a beat. Was that what had happened to Danny? Had Cyborg tried to _terminate_ him?

While we were all terrified, we didn't speak of Danny further. We just followed Cyborg like lost puppies around the city, trying to find Billy.

A couple of hours later, when it was dark outside, we found him. Or _them_ , as it turned out. An army of Billy's were marching the famous Jump City bridge though the city.

Dani's jaw dropped. "Isn't that the bridge that connects Jump city to the rest of California?"

Robins gaze hardened. "Yeah, it is." He rolled his shoulders and smiled. "Let's go get it back!"

I grabbed Robin's arms and flew him up to the bridge, Starfire, the clones, and crow Beast boy following close behind.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing!" One of them answered. "But if yall don't believe that, I got a bridge to sell ya!"

Suddenly, Billy looked behind us, down the street. His eyes widened. "Oh sweet honey iced tea, not him again!"

We turned and saw Cyborg running full speed towards the bridge. He jumped on and over cars, gaining momentum until he jumped into the air, aiming his cannon at the Billy's.

"AAARRGH!" Cyborg screamed, suddenly sparking.

"Cyborg?" Starfire whispered in concern.

Cyborgs lights shut down and his eyes closed as he fell to the street, unconscious.

"CYBORG!" Robin shouted, jumping free of my grasp and running towards our fallen friend.

"We gotta get him back to the tower!" Beast Boy insisted, looking down at his best friend."

"What about Billy?" Dani asked.

"We gotta let him go for now." Robin decided. "We have to save Cyborg before we can stop Billy."

Starfire, Dani, Leon, and I each took hold of one of Cyborgs limbs, carrying him home through the air. Beast boy turned into a pterodactyl, and Robin rode on his back.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Leon asked as we flew into the house. As we rounded the corner to Cyborgs room, we collided head first with Danny.

"Ow!" He groaned. "Watch where you're going!"

"Danny!" Came Leon's shocked response. "Are you ok?"

Danny stood up. "I'm fine. It's Cyborg you have to worry about."

"No kidding!" Robin jumped off Beast Boy. "Any idea what's wrong with him."

Danny nodded. "Yeah, actually, I do. C'mon, get Cy back in his room."

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

"Ow..."

Everyone jumped up and ran over to Cyborg, whose eyes were just opening.

"He buddy," Robin said gently. "Take it easy."

Cyborg sat up slightly, blinking in confusion. "D- did we beat Numerous?"

Robin shook his head. "We had to let him go so we could take care of you."

Cyborg blinked. "Take care of me? What happened to me?"

"You almost got yourself killed." Danny said. Cyborg looked at him for a moment, then gasped in horror.

"That wasn't a dream?"

"Nope. Sorry."

Cyborgs eyes widened. "Danny, I am so sorry!"

Danny smiled. "Meh, it's fine. Besides," He pointed to his much less swollen eye. "Ghost immunity is already taking care of it."

As we had fixed Cyborg, Danny explained to us what had happened. In order to power the max 7, Cyborg had deleted all programs we could, including the ones that preserved his humanity. And, like Robin had said, he needed another person to grant him access. Danny had been held at canon point to do it, and he tried shutting Cyborg down instead.

"He wasn't too happy about that." Danny told us. "He started viewing me as a threat. I tried staying awake with him to keep him under control because he said we didn't need to call you guys. Then I tried overshadowing him and well.. obviously you saw how that turned out."

"We read the instructions." I informed Cyborg, gesturing to the small library of instruction manuals the chip had come with. BB was sitting on the floor folding extra paper into origami. "When you deleted your programs, your systems were no longer compatible with the max 7."

"Your core processor was strained beyond it's capacity." Dani-with-an-i added. She held out her open palm. "We had to re-download your systems and remove the max to save your life."

Cyborg looked around it horror. "Save my life?"

Leon nodded. "You scared us- we didn't think you were gonna make it for a while."

Cyborg scowled at the ground. "I almost got you all killed, almost killed myself, and Billy got away. I really messed up."

Danny patted him on the back. "Cy, it's fine. C'mon, let's go kick the hillbilly back to Texas where he belongs!"

"How?" Cyborg asked. "We couldn't keep up with him, even when I was powered by the maximum. How are we supposed to beat him now?"

"Maybe we don't have to be the strongest." BB mused. "I can turn into the biggest, fastest, most powerful animals in the world bro. But sometimes, it better to be a slow, tiny turtle." He held out his hand, showing us the origami turtle cradled in his palm.

"That would have been a lot deeper without the hat." I pointed out, giving the origami hat on Beast boys hard a hard look.

"It is his numbers giving Billy the advantage, correct?" Starfire crossed her arms. "If we too could get the numbers, then perhaps we could beat him."

"Too bad we can't multiply ourselves." BB pouted.

Danny and the clones exchanged a look. Robin noticed, and turned to them. "What? What are you guys thinking."

"It's a stupidly crazy idea." Leon warned us.

"Do you think we could do it?" Danny asked them.

Dani-with-an-i nodded. "It's a long shot, but I bet we could find a way to pull it off."

"What are you talking about!" BB demanded. "Pull what off?"

Danny and his clone turned to Cyborg. "We'll need your help."

Cy grinned. "Whatever it is, let's do it!"

It was around 2 in the morning when we finally got it right. Leon hadn't been kidding when he said the plan was stupidly crazy. I honestly had huge doubts about the odds of success.

It wasn't hard to find Billy- he wasn't exactly hiding. The Jump city foot ball field had been taken over by Billy's and over run with all the things they had stolen. As we watched, the Billy's walked around their little community, laughing and joking around as if they were different people, and not duplicates of an original.

"Yo Billy!" Cyborg called from his position on the stolen bridge. "Stop talking to yourself!"

One of the Billy's look up at him with a cocky expression. "One? Against one _hundred_? Well ain't that just as sweet as an apple pie!"

"You know what Billy, you're right!" Robin shouted from the other side of the field. "These numbers don't seem fair."

The rest of the team showed themselves, glaring down at Billy. The little red man rolled his eyes. "Okay, _five_ against one hundred. Yall still ain't got no chance."

"Count again Billy," Beast boy laughed. Suddenly, there were multiple Robin's, Beast boys, Starfire's, and Raven's surrounding the field. 100 of us total.

"Well run me over and call me dinner," Billy laughed. "Looks like someone learned how to duplicate my duplication!"

Robin lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, we're cool like that."

"Yall may have copied a copier!" Billy shouted. "But you'll never be as good as the original!"

With that, the battle broke out, duplicate titans fighting duplicate Billy's. Turns out, if you hit a Billy hard enough, he goes flying back into the original Billy. It was a strange battle, watching masses of myself beat up the masses of Billy. I couldn't even tell which copy of my friends was the original! But our plan was working, with the even number of players, we were winning the game.

"Nobody, I say _nobody_ outnumbers Billy Numerous!" The original Billy shouted. He concentrated, trying to splint into another Billy, but it didn't work. He got a second head, but that was it. Billy was beaten. The copies started disappearing, flying back into the original with enough force to toss the kid around.

Once all the Billy's were one again, the exhausted original collapsed on the ground and passed out.

"Good job guys!" Robin shouted at the bridge. "You can stop now!"

All at once, all of our own clones disappeared. We walked up to the bridge where the three ghosts were on the ground, panting. Leon's nose was bleeding.

"That was so cool!" Beast boy exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" Starfire looked at Danny and the clones. They gave us tired nods.

"It worked." Dani-with-an-i breathed. "I can't believe it!"

Neither could I. Danny and the clones had used Cyborgs body as a prism to reflect their duplication powers to all of us. Normally each kid could duplicate into a maximum of 4 clones, but somehow they turned four titans into a hundred.

Now, however, they were spent. All three of them looked ready to fall asleep right then and there.

"Well done." A voice from above us said. A voice I knew all to well.

Robin froze. "Please tell me I imagined that."

"Sorry to disappoint, Robin." Suddenly, Slade fell from the top of the bridge and landed in front of us.

"Jesus Christ!" Leon jumped. Danny scowled and whacked him.

"What are you doing here?" Robin growled, looking at the older man.

"Bridging the gap." Slade looked at Leon. "It really is remarkable," He bent down and gripped Leon's cheeks in his hand. "Just how much like her you are."

Leon looked at us for help, his eyes wide a saucers. Danny narrowed his eyes and pushed to his feet, shoving Slade away.

"Don't touch him." He snapped.

Slade laughed. "Getting a little protective, are we Danny."

Danny didn't say anything, but he stood his ground. Suddenly Slade grabbed Danny by the throat and slammed him down into the ground.

"Where is she?" the older man snarled.

"What? Get of of me!" Danny tried pushing him off. The titans took a step towards them, but one look from Slade stopped us.

"Take one more step," he threatened. "And I will snap his neck."

No one moved, no one breathed.

"Daniel, _where is she_?" Slade repeated.

"What are you talking about- ow!" Slade tightened his grip on Danny, cutting of his air supply.

"You're going to kill him!" Dani-with-an-i yelped, sending Danny a terrified look.

"Is it her?" Slade asked as Danny gasped for air. "Or him?" Slade pulled Leon over to them by his hair. "How are you doing it Daniel? HOW ARE YOU KEEPING HER FROM ME?"

Danny kicked out and Slade dropped them both, cursing. Danny scuttled away from Slade on his knees, one hand gingerly over his neck.

"Who are you talking about?" He asked, looking at us for help.

I looked at him, locking his eyes with mine. I tried to tell him how much we wanted to help him, but we couldn't. We couldn't risk someone getting killed. He blinked, and I hoped it meant he understood.

"I know you've seen her." Slade growled. "I know she's seen you. I can smell her on you. I can _see_ her with you."

"WHO?" Danny shouted. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"Don't try to play dumb with me Daniel. Now TELL ME!"

Danny froze suddenly. "A-are you talking about Liz?"

Slade looked down at him. "Where is she? Where do you have her?"

Danny slowly stood up. "Do you mean she's alive? You're looking for Liz?"

Slade lifted Danny by the collar of his shirt. "My patience is wearing thin Daniel. I can _feel_ it. What have you done with her?"

I stepped towards them. "Leave him alone!"

Slade turned towards me, first in anger, then in shock. "Y-you? No, it couldn't be..."

He dropped Danny and marched towards me. With one swift flick of his wrist he grabbed my clock and ripped it off of me.

"HEY!"

He reached into my pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal.

 _What is that?_ And suddenly I remembered- it was the washer that had fallen off of Danny's bed the night of the fire. Only now, it looked like something different.

"How did you get this?" Slade demanded. He was terrifying us all; even if we could have taken him on, everyone was too afraid to move. Slade had always remained cool, calm, and collected. Now he was acting truly insane.

"I found it." I said.

"Where?"

"I... I found it next to Danny's bed. A few nights ago."

Slade backed up, his one visible eye widening. "The lighting storm..." he thought out loud.

Danny suddenly lurched out and grabbed the metal from Slades hand. "What is this- oh my God."

"Yes Daniel." Slade said, his calm and creepy deminior returning. "Tell us what that is."

"I- it's Liz's ring!"

"And why is this so shocking?"

Danny looked up at me. "This is the ring she died wearing. The one I thought I had during the fire! Raven, how did you-"

"She found it because I planted it there." Slade explained. "I started the fire Daniel. It was my technology that made the lightning storm. Just like how I planned on Liz dying, I planned on Raven finding this ring."

"W-hat? Why?" Danny backed away from Slade. "That doesn't make sense!"

Slade walked towards him. "I wanted to kill you with that fire Daniel. I wanted you to burn alive, suffocating in agony until the loving calm of death took you in it's grasp. I wanted to watch you suffer as you watched her. I want you dead Daniel." Slade jerked his arm out, gripping Danny tight around the neck, lifting him off his feet.

"Slade!" Robin roared, preparing to charge.

"Take one step and I will blow up this entire city Robin."

Robin stayed where he was. None of us were stupid enough to think Slade was bluffing.

Danny's face was turning red. "The- ring?" He gasped out.

"Funny detail, isn't it? An insult to injury, if you will. A final reminder that it was you who killed her. Of course it was my plan for her to die all along, but you could have saved her Daniel. You could have saved her from the painful death she went through. I was betting on that, as a matter a fact. But no, instead, you let her _die._ "

"Stop!" Danny's eyes were watering, but I doubted they were tears. The chocking sounds he was making were terrifying; Slade was really trying to kill him.

"She died Daniel, because of you. And I'm taking away every memory of her. Her friends, her family, her home," Danny's eyes widened. Slade nodded. "That's right. Vlad, her mother, her sister. Derek and Jessica too. All killed. Gone. Because of you, Daniel. Her home in California? Burned to the ground. There is nothing left of her but _you._ " Danny gagged and coughed as the vice around his neck tightened.

"You're the last thing I need to get rid of. The last of her memory." And Slade let go of Danny. The teen dropped to the ground, gagging as he tried to get enough air.

Slade kicked him onto his stomach, driving his steel toed boots into Danny's chest and abdomen a couple more times for good measure.

"But I realize now Daniel, that if you are ever to experience the pain she did, you must live." Slade plucked the ring from Danny's hand. "To truly feel the agony she did, you will live the rest of your life knowing that it was you who killed her, you who took her from this world. Sure, I helped, but this is your fault. You will never see her again Daniel." Slade leaned down closer.

" _Never_. You preserve her memory. And it's a terrible burden that is fantastic to watch you struggle with. How does it feel to know that every picture, every friend, every family member she had is gone?"

Slade kicked Danny again, resulting in a pained cry from the boy. "This has been fun, titans," He looked at Robin over his shoulder. "And remember, I _will_ find how you're keeping her from me. Terra and I have a little deal, and no amount of your protection from you is going to save her."

In the blink of an eye, Slade was gone. All at once, we all ran towards Danny, Leon and Dani reaching him first.

"She's alive," He gasped, his voice low and gravelly. "Liz is alive!"

"He was messing with you Danny." BB said softly. "she's gone bro, you no that. Slade was looking for Terra...I guess..."

Danny shook his head. "No. That ring- she's alive!"

Suddenly, he froze, his gaze terrified. "He said he killed them! He couldn't have-" He stood up.

"Danny," Dani-with-an-i grabbed his arm. "What are you doing? We have to get you home- you're hurt."

"She's alive." Danny said coldly. He swayed slightly on his feet, his nose beginning to bleed.

"We need to get you home," Robin said, gently taking one of his arms.

"No!" Danny shook him off. "She's alive! And I'm gonna prove it!"

Before anyone could argue, Danny went ghost and took off in the sky, going invisible so we couldn't follow him.

"DANNY!" Leon shouted. He tried to go ghost too, but nearly passed out in the process.

"We have to get you two home." I said, catching Leon before he fell flat on his face.

"But.. we gotta go after Danny!" Dani argued.

"He'll be fine." Robin said uncertainly. "If he needs us, he'll call. And if he's not back soon, we'll go look for him. Now, we need to get you guys home- you look like you're about to die. Besides, it seems we have to be on the watch for Terra too. Come on."

That night was a nightmare. We had to help the police fill out reports, try and fix up two ghost kids, and be on the look out for Danny. When I finally did get to bed, there was only one thought that crossed through my mind.

_What was Slade up to?_


	21. Ghost of you- Danny

Chapter 21 Danny

Yeah, I blacked out. And yes, it was because I decided to go ghost after using all the power I could spare, then getting beat up. Not my best day.

But I couldn't believe what Slade said- I couldn't believe that Jessica, Derek, Kelly and Claire were dead. I mean, from what I'd heard about Liz's birth mother, the world would probably be a better place without Claire, but Jess and Derek? Them I knew. And while I hadn't thought about them in a while, it made my blood run cold to think of them being dead.

As I flew to God knows where, I turned that thought over in my head. What _had_ happened to Jessica and Derek? If Sam and Tucker had told the Guys In White everything then it was very possible they too had been taken into custody. Did they have families to go home to? Where they still even in California?

It saddened me to think that through everything I had been through with them, all the fights and wounds and bonding, I really didn't know much more than that they'd been friends with Liz since birth. Did they think Liz and I were dead? Had they waited, hoping Liz and I would come visit like we'd promised all those years ago?

"Did they help the Guys in White find us?" I thought out loud. That was about when I passed out, crashing to the ground. When I woke up it was still dark, and a cow was grazing on grass not three feat from my face.

I didn't know where I was, and my T-communicator (which was basically my cell phone) was dead, so I was really lost. Slowly I sat up, wincing as my head throbbed.

My neck was still bruised from the fight with Slade. If I'd actually slept or gotten something to eat it probably would have healed by now, but I was in the middle of nowhere with no actual sleep, and a stomach growling like a wolf.

I was still half asleep, but kept flying around, trying to see if there was anything I recognized. And, to my surprise, I did.

The neighborhood was probably abandoned, because it looked like a haunted ghost town. Paint peeled off the houses, the lawns were either overgrown or dead, and trash covered the streets. It wasn't even that big of a place, maybe 15 houses total, on the outskirts of some actual city.

I had never been to California in my life, but this place seemed creepily familiar. I dropped to the street and walked down, looking at the houses until one caught my eye.

There was literally _nothing_ about the house that seemed special; not the color, not the style, not the yard, nothing. It looked just like the others. But something made me stop and stare, the hairs on the back on my neck rising.

I walked to the front door and opened it, walking inside. Dust jumped from the carpet as I stepped in, making me cough.

"What the hell..."

The house wasn't empty, but it didn't look occupied either. There was furniture everywhere, but it was covered in plastic bags and dust. The pictures on the wall couldn't be seen through the dirt and grime. But it still felt familiar.

I walked deeper into the house and found that the entire place was dirty and dusty except for the kitchen. The kitchen, for whatever reason, was spotless. The lights worked, the fridge worked and had a small amount of food in it, and a phone charger was plugged into the wall.

It was creepy, to say the least. I figured that this must have been the home of a drug dealer or something, but still couldn't leave. There obviously wasn't anyone home, they would have heard me by now. So I kept following the cleanliness. The stairs were just as clean, so I followed them up. There were only three rooms upstairs, two of which had clean, open doors. The third looked like it wasn't supposed to exist.

It was tucked into the corner, as if it were a broom closet or something. Like the rest of the house, it was covered with dirt and dust. The doorknob was missing, so the entire thing looked like it was just part of the wall. What gave it away was the yellow caution tape that crossed the door off.

It took a few tries, but eventually I was able to shake the rusted lock on the door loose and open it.

It was a bedroom. Sorta. As far as bedrooms go it was along the Harry Potter under-the-stairs kind of room. It was slanted by the roof and had a window, but really wasn't that big. It was just an over sized crawl space really. With the ceiling slanted down, the room was more wedge shaped than cubed. I could only stand up straight if I was on the right side of the room, otherwise I had to crouch to avoid hitting my head.

I felt like I'd seen the place before. I walked over and sat on the bed, the fairly _small_ bed, and looked around the room. The walls were wallpapered purple and gray. In the corner across the bed was a tall dresser and next to that, a small, hand made doll house. There were childish drawings on the wall, but I couldn't see what they were. Pictures covered every inch of the slanted ceiling.

I stood up to look at them, and the floor board beneath me creaked and snapped, prompting a string of curses from my mouth. I yanked my foot back out only to find that under the snapped floor board was a small hiding spot that hid, among other things, an old notebook. I lifted it, careful not to tear the aged pages and opened to a random page.

_Monday_

_Dear diary,_

_Mommy is so mean! She said I can't have a sleepover because all the noise would upset the baby. The thing isn't even born yet! Daddy said that my friends could still come over to dinner though, even though mommy said they couldn't. Take that HA! The bully's were bothering JeJe again. They tied her hair to the swing! So I pushed them off the monkey bars. Patricia broke her arm. Serves her right. Daddy says I shouldn't do things like that, but I don't care! Someone needs to show those meanies that they can't do that! It's mean!_

_Wednesday_

_Dear diary,_

_I think mommy hates me. I can't sleep so I went to her and Daddy's room to see if they could get rid of the ghosts in my room. Daddy says they're friendly, but they scare me. Daddy's good at fighting off ghosts. Anyway I went to get daddy to fight off the ghosts when I heard him and mommy talking. They both said they're excited for the new baby. I think I am too, because maybe the baby will make mommy happier. She told daddy she isn't happy. She doesn't want the baby to be a freak like me. Daddy says I'm not a freak, but once mommy wrote that word on my door with permanent marker. It made me cry._

I frowned down at the pages. The poor kid who lived here must have had a messed up mom! It was so weird- the hand writing looked like it was from a five year old, and they were being called a freak? I kept reading.

_Saturday_

_Dear diary,_

_Daddy trained with me more today! JeJe came to! Mommy was at the doctors with grandma, so we had the house all to ourselves! He finally showed me where HE trains! He said mommy didn't know about it, so it's our secret. I like keeping secrets from mommy. JeJe can't even know about it! It feels like I'm a super spy! Daddy says the baby is gonna be a girl. He said that's gonna make me an older sister. I don't want to be an older sister! DeDe's older sister was almost as big a meanie as mommy, and I don't want to be like that! Mommy says she is gonna have to sell_ _some things_ _to help the baby. When I came home today from school, all my toys were gone except for my doll house and BearBear! Mommy said older sisters don't need toys. She also said the reason DeDe's sister was so mean was because she had toys. I'm just glad I still have BearBear._

For some reason, something was stirring inside me. JeJe? DeDe? BearBear? I felt like I knew those names. But I was still bone tired from the day before, so I ignored the feeling. I wanted to put the sad, morbid diary down, but something made me keep reading.

_Monday_

_Dear diary,_

_I figured out why I've never met grandma. She doesn't know I'm alive! Daddy said he wanted grandma to come over for dinner and mommy said no! Then they asked me to leave the room so they could 'discuss it', which is grown up talk for yell at each other. I overheard mommy say she didn't want to expose her mother to a freak of nature- she was talking about me! Daddy told her that the baby girl had an equal chance of being like me, but he didn't sound like he meant it. I hope my baby sister isn't like me, because I want mommy to like the baby._ _Daddy told me he hopes the baby isn't like me either, because he wants mommy to be happy too. Daddy has seemed a little sad lately. It's my birthday soon, and I think that's why. Mommy never celebrates it, and daddy always ends up crying, and no one will tell me why. I've decided not to celebrate it anymore. I don't want my parents to be sad._

That was heartbreaking. What kind of parents didn't celebrate their daughters birthday? I flipped absently past a few pages until a new entry caught my eye.

_Friday_

_Dear diary_

_My baby sister is here! Mommy and daddy went to the hospital to get her. Daddy said grandma needed to come watch me, but mommy said no. I was home by myself and felt so grown up! I made popcorn and ate candy from mommy's secret stash. And I made cards for mommy daddy and the baby! Tomorrow daddy says maybe I can stay the night at JeJe's so mommy can relax. I want to see my baby sister! Mommy and daddy took her home 2 days ago, and I still haven't seen her. Mommy says she doesn't want her angel to be touched by a demon, but I don't know what that means. All I know is that it makes Daddy mad._

For a while, the writing like that continued. Slowly the hand writing and spelling improved. The entries were getting even creepier though, talking all about how this kid had to sneak out of the house t go see her friends, to do anything really. I felt bad for this girl- her life had sucked. Her mom was a witch, and while her dad loved her, it didn't seem like he did much for her. Her toy BearBear had been taken and given to her sister, her friends and been all but banished from the household by her mother, and she struggled in school. I didn't read an entire entry again until the handwriting became cursive.

_Diary,_

_This is probably the last entry I will ever write. I'm not sure what is going on, but it isn't good. Men in white suites are at our house, tearing it apart. Dad told me to stay in here until they leave- I've never seen him look so terrified in his life. He keeps telling me that he made the wrong choice, that he isn't ready for this. I think he might start crying soon. He keeps telling me he loves me. Claire is telling the white suit guys that she doesn't know dad. She told them she only knew me because I was babysitting her daughter, Kelly. She took Kelly. I don't think the men in white know I'm in the house yet, but Claire is probably going to tell them. I think she wants me and dad to be killed. Jessica and Derek are God knows where, so I can't count on them to help. I can hear dad screaming and people shouting and I'm so scared. Someone talked about where they could take me, since I don't have any other family. And they're right- I don't. I'm loosing everything; my friends, my sister, my home, my dad. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm terrified! Before dad locked me in here he held me close and told me he was sorry he was so selfish, and that he should have done things differently. He said he hadn't ever believed it until now. I don't know what he was talking about. He told me that, while he doesn't remember everything, he knows that I'll be happy, no matter what happens. He said I'm the star the world has been waiting to wish on._ _He keeps saying_ _I'm_ _going_ _save the world someday; he says I'm a hero._ _The last thing he told me was to never stop fighting,_ _be careful who I trust,_ _and never loose my necklace. And then he left. I'm hearing guns and screams and sirens and I don't know what's going on! I hear people coming up the stairs. Jess, Derek, if either of you find this, please, find me! No matter what it takes! I can't loose you. All I can do is hope dad was right when he said I'll be happy. I love you guys, so please find me? Even if I have to fly back to meet you, I will come back. And if I don't, then just don't forget me. I'll always be with you; the star shining down on you from above._

_~Lizzie_

I was going to be sick. There was no way this was possible! There was no way this was my Liz. I sat back down hard on the bed, shaking the frame. A few pictures on the wall fell to the floor, one fluttering down next to my foot. I nearly screamed when I picked it up.

The smiling faces of Liz, Jessica, and Derek were looking back at me. They must have been no more than 7 years old, but it was them. I jumped to my feet, dropping the picture, and hitting my head on the ceiling. More pictures fell, each of them holding the face of either Liz of her friends. They fell around me like snowflakes in a blizzard of memories. It was almost scary, seeing their faces spin in front of me; so many precious moments captured.

But Slade had said he had destroyed them all! He said her house was burned to the ground! But if the pictures and diary meant anything, then _this_ was Liz's house! The names all made sense now; JeJe and DeDe were nicknames for Jessica and Derek. BearBear was the one toy Liz ever admitted to having. This was Liz's house.

As I backed away, more and more photos rained down on me, broken smiles that distracted from the depressing childhood Liz was hiding.

Suddenly, something cold was pressed into my back, between my shoulder blades.

"Don't. Move." A voice hissed in my ear.

I tried to turn my head and heard a gun load. "I said don't move!"

I held my hands up in surrender, my heart pounding in my chest. "S-sorry" I muttered. "Didn't know anyone lived here."

"How did you find this place?"

"Do I know you?" I blurted. The girl holding me at gun point sounded familiar.

"How did you find this place?" She repeated.

"I was just wandering around and-" she smashed the gun she was holding into my skull. I sunk to my knees, but didn't black out.

"How did you find this place?" She repeated. She almost sounded... _scared_. "Tell me _now_ , of the next thing coming towards your head will be a bullet."

I turned to look at her over my shoulder and gasped.

"J-Jess?"

Fear flashed across her bright blue eyes. She kicked me so I was on my back and bent over me, holding the barrel of the gun to my forehead.

"How did you know that?" She hissed. "How the hell do you now my name?"

I couldn't answer, I was too shocked too. Jessica was alive. I mean, she was currently trying to kill me, but she was alive! She didn't look like she used too, but it was still her. All of her hair had been dyed blue instead of just streaks. Derek had apparently gotten her to get her nose pierced, because there was now a small diamond stud in her left nostril.

"I- Jess it's me! It's Danny!"

Jessica's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. "Like hell you are! Danny's dead!"

"No, no I'm not! Jess it's me! I swear!"

Jess cocked the gun. "You have three seconds to tell me who you are and how you found this place. Otherwise I'm blowing your brains out."

"What!? Jess wait!"

"One..."

"Jessica I swear it's me! Give me a change to-"

"Two..."

"MY NAME IS DANNY FENTON!" I yelled, closing my eyes and waiting for the world to go black. "When I was 14 I was in an accident that gave me ghost powers. My parents were Maddie and Jack Fenton and my sisters name is Jazz! My best friend is Elizabeth Masters who was adopted by Vlad Masters when she was 14. You and Derek came to Casper high on an exchange program and that's how we met! You were there when Liz's dad Robert kidnapped her and you watched when she helped kill him! Your favorite color is blue and when you were four years old you ate an entire bar of soap because it was blue! Derek has red hair and is dyslexic but he's still the best reader in his grade! When he was seven he wanted to take a ballet class, and you and Liz took it with him so no one made fun of him. And on the last day you were in Amity Park you kissed Tucker and then snapped his glasses in half, Derek kissed Liz after she broke up with him, and Liz told you she would call you on her birthday but she never did!" I kept my eyes close, panting as I tried to catch my breath.

After a few moments, I risked opening my eyes to look at Jess. She looked confused and terrified at the same time. "D-Danny?"

I nodded.

Suddenly tears started pouring from her eyes, and she tackled me in a hug. She was sobbing and kissing my face all over, saying incoherent things between sobs. "I can't believe it's you..." She whispered after a while as her crying started to stop. "I thought you were dead."

I sat up and hugged her back. Her hug was warm and tight and safe and for the first time in a long time I felt... at home.

"Where's Liz?" Jess asked, pulling away slightly.

Before I could answer, someone appeared in the doorway.

"Are you ok babe?" It was none other than Derek. He looked into the room with a very confused look. "Who the hell is this? Why are you crying?"

"Derek," Jess smiled widely and hugged me again. "It's Danny!"


	22. A ghostly condition- Raven

Chapter 22 Raven

The drive home was quiet. Everyone fell asleep except for me and Cyborg, who was driving.

I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't have if I tried. Too many things were spinning around in my head; Was Slade really looking for Terra? Would she show up soon just to completely screw us over again? Why was Slade so overly concerned with Danny suffering about Liz? And how had Liz's ring ended up in my pocket?

With a sigh, I massaged my temples. There were _way_ too many questions that I just couldn't answer.

"Long day," Cyborg commented, making sure to keep his voice down so as not to wake anyone up.

"No kidding."

Cyborg looked at me through the mirror. "Do you think Danny's alright?"

"Probably not. Slade said some pretty dark stuff."

"Think there was any truth to what he said?"

I lifted a shoulder. "No idea. Slade either called the biggest bluff of all time, or he is way more powerful than we could have imagined."

Neither option seemed good. But Slade had once gotten Robin to be his apprentice, based purely on his power. As scary as it was, I didn't put it too far past him to make a lightning storm.

Starfire snored and shifted in her seat, her head landing on Leon's shoulder. He and Dani-with-an-i didn't look... well, they didn't look good. I didn't know much about ghost powers, but if appearances meant anything, the two had pushed themselves a little too hard. Even while asleep they looked drained; faces pale and eyes dark.

"We're lucky they're with us." Robin suddenly murmured, sitting up straighter in his shot gun seat. "Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep."

"You need to sleep," Cyborg told him

Robin shook his head. "Can't. Why don't you let me drive for a while? Keep in mind, you nearly died today. If anyone needs rest, it's you."

The debate lasted until Cyborg agreed to put the car on auto pilot. The car drove slowly and carefully, and the newly found silence was comforting. Everything in the city seemed to be still and calm; it was that time of night where you felt mysterious and creeped out and peaceful. All the lights were off, and per the Jump city anti-light pollution act, even the street lights had been turned off.

Slowly, I drifted off into that state where you weren't awake, but you weren't really asleep either. I was vaguely aware that we got back to the tower. It felt like only seconds had past. When I opened my eyes expecting to be in the garage, I was actually in someone's strong arms. Robin's arms.

"It's ok." He whispered when my mouth opened to protest. "I didn't want to wake you up. I won't tell anyone, ok?"

I didn't say anything and instead found me resting my head on his shoulder. I think I remember seeing Cyborg carry the clones and hearing him and Robin say they'll come back for BB and Star.

When I woke up a few hours later, I was in my bed, covered by blankets. It was only 6 in the morning; the sun wasn't even up yet. I was hungry, so I climbed out of bed and began the trek to the kitchen. I stopped in front of Robin's room.

The kid was still awake, sitting at his computer.

"Robin?" He jumped, spinning around to look at me. "Sorry," I apologized. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Shouldn't you?" I crossed the room and sat in the chair next to him. "Have you been awake this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"Doing what?"

Robin gestured to his computer. "Trying to figure out what is going on. The bad guys have been unsettelingly quiet lately, and with the whole fiasco with Slade... well, I'm getting suspicious."

I nodded. "Do you really think he's looking for Terra?"

Robin slumped back in his chair. "Truthfully? I have no idea. If he was trying to find Terra, why interrogate Danny? Beast Boy knew more about Terra than he did; Danny never even met her!"

"Then why bring her up?" I tugged at my hair. "And what was with his Liz speech?"

"That's what's been bothering me the most." Robin confessed. "Slade confessed to getting her killed, but then blames Danny?" He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "How'd you get her ring?"

I dropped my gaze. "I don't know."

"Could Slade have slipped it into your pocket somehow?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I remember picking it up."

"You do?"

"Well, kind of." Robin looked confused. "The night of the fire, I woke up and walked around a little bit, trying to understood what happened. When I walked part Danny's bed, I picked up what I thought was a washer that had fallen off his bed."

Robin looked at me. He was obviously tired. "This is really a mess, huh?" He cracked a small smile. "Just think, two years ago we would have been sitting here talking about some robbery or something."

"Ghosts," I joked. "They really change everything."

Robin nodded. For a moment, his head fell and I thought he was asleep, but it snapped back up and he was awake.

"I can't track Danny's communicator." He said with a yawn.

"Isn't that bad?"

Robin wasn't awake enough to have a decent conversation with. His head kept falling as he tried to stay awake.

"Alright boyscout," I grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his chair. "You need sleep."

"But-"

I held up a hand to shut him up. "Bed. Now." It didn't take more convincing than that. Robin was out the second his head hit his pillow. I used my powers to cover him with his blankets, then left the room.

Dani nearly gave me a heart attack. After my brief chat with Robin, I went to the kitchen for a snack. Dani was there, standing at the window. I didn't realize she was there until she turned around to greet me.

"Jesus!" I glared at her. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." She turned back and looked outside again. "The view is beautiful."

"Yeah."

She didn't say anything else as I made a cup of tea. The only sound was the soft snores coming from Leon in the couch.

"I never imagined my life would end up like this."

I looked up as she walked over, helping herself to _my_ tea. She took her cup back over to the window and sat on the ground, pressing her forehead into the glass.

"Danny can never catch a break."

I shrugged, then realized she couldn't see me. "Kinda happens to super heroes."

She took a sip from her tea and motioned for me to sit next to her. The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky was starting to lighten slightly. Dani-with-an-i didn't say anything, so we just sat there in silence, watching the city, each alone with our own thoughts.

"Danny and Liz saved my life." She whispered suddenly. I was surprised to see her eyes beginning to water. "Leon's too. They gave everything to save us. I don't think Leon and I ever even said thank you. We tried to get them killed once."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I know how weird it sounds." She bit her lip. "We were cloned to be evil- that was Vlad's intention. He wanted a son who was like Danny, but who would fight for the evil cause. Liz... I never understood why he liked her so much. He went all the way across the country to adopt her and always tried to protect her, even when they were fighting each other. He just wanted to alter her brain chemistry so she was evil too."

"Vlad seems like a nice guy." I said sarcastically.

"I guess he used to be, before he got ghost powers. Anyway, Leon was made by mistake; he has an origin story all by himself. And suddenly POOF, there were two little ghosts running around. And all we did for about a week straight was try to ruin their lives." She blinked rapidly so none of her tears would fall. "And even after all that, even after I tried to kill Danny, he still wanted to save me. He still wanted to see us be good."

"And you are." I pointed out.

"Liz died." Dani said. "And I can't help but feel guilty. Maybe if Leon and I had been here-"

"She was shot." I interrupted. "And then she got kidnapped. I don't think you could have done much."

Dani hugged her knees and set her empty cup on the ground next to her. "Maybe. But maybe we could have."

"Listen kid." I began awkwardly. "I am not good at this kinda stuff so listen up. You can't waste your life with 'maybe's'. What's done is done and no matter how much we may not like it, it's a fact we have to deal with. Sure, _maybe_ you could have done something so _maybe_ she'd be sitting with us right now. But you weren't here and she died. It's the reality we're stuck with. Not saying I like it, but we just have to deal with it. Don't act like Danny, ok?"

Dani opened her mouth, then grinned slightly. "I kinda have to be like Danny- Half my DNA is his."

"You have weird lives."

Dani-with-an-i laughed out loud, then clamped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry," She giggled. "It's just the way you said that-" She broke into laughter again, tipping over onto her side, clutching at her stomach.

"What the hell Dani?" I glanced over my shoulder and saw a sleepy Leon sitting up on the couch, rubbing at his eyes.

Dani looked at him too, but it only caused her to laugh harder. "Omigod, your hair!"

Leon walked over to us like a sleep deprived zombie, yawning widely. "Did you just say 'omigod'?"

Dani-with-an-i paused her laughter. "Did I? I don't think so- I've never said that." And then she went right on back to laughing.

"Ignore her." Leon said with another yawn. "She's tired- she tends to laugh a lot when she's tired."

I just shrugged, and looked out the window again. As the sun began to peek out at me from beyond the horizon I realized I didn't know if Danny was home yet or not. Just because Robin couldn't track his communicator didn't mean he wasn't home. I checked the towers entry logs, but it didn't show anyone entering besides us coming home that night.

Leon had already passed out next to Dani, who was still laughing at God knows what, so I left them and checked the roof. Danny wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere around the general vicinity of the tower, which lead me to believe he just wasn't home. But that brought up a whole new set of questions, the most prominent one being, where was he?

When I walked back into the kitchen, Beast Boy was there.

"Go to bed." I said, placing a cold cup of tea in the microwave.

"Good morning Raven," He greeted me, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "How did you sleep? Me? Oh, I slept horribly, but thanks for asking!"

"Anytime, you know I'm always super interested in your sleeping habits." I glanced at my team mate over my shoulder. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his body showed obvious signs of exhaustion, but other than that he seemed fine.

"You alright?" I asked quietly.

"No." Beast Boy admitted. "We all slept for over 24 hours- did you know that?" I hadn't known that. "Well, at least everyone else did. I kept waking up- nightmares about Terra. Do you think she might come back to us? That she's gonna fight for us and not against us?"

I wanted to snap at him that no, I didn't think there was any chance that the little earth bender was going to come back to us. She had never been for us in the first place. But BB was tired, so instead I offered to help him make breakfast for the rest of the team.

I was scrambling eggs when Dani got up again. The smell of food had coaxed her awake. "It looks _awesome!_ " She gushed, her mouth literally watering.

She grabbed a plate before I gave her permission, and Beast Boy took it as a cue to also take some food. The two sat at the island and began scarfing down their food while I made more food, insuring that the rest of the team could eat once they woke up.

"Leon doesn't look all that good." Beast Boy piped up suddenly, wiping bits of his tofu egg off his mouth.

Dani-with-an-i glanced at him over her shoulder and shrugged, gulping down a glass of water. "Yeah, I know, but don't worry. His healing abilities work differently than ours. He probably won't wake up for another day- he pushed himself really, _really_ hard."

BB raised his eyebrows. "Why does his stuff work differently?"

"Think of him like a baby that was born prematurely," Dani told him. "They might have more difficulties later on in life right? Or if a mother were addicted to drugs or had mental issues, their baby may experience physical limitations. Leon wasn't planned- he was literally an accident. Vlad wanted to clone Danny- _just_ Danny. Liz kinda screwed up his plans because she accidentally contaminated the DNA sample Vlad had taken. Vlad only used small portions of the sample at a time because it was hard to get DNA; the part he used to clone me had a very small percentage of Liz's DNA in it."

"Might want to use smaller words." I suggested. "BB might not be able to keep up."

BB glared at me, and gestured for Dani to keep talking.

"That's why I'm a girl." Dani laughed lightly. "Anyway, I literally saw Leon be... I dunno, _created?_ Is that the right word?" She shrugged indifferently. "Anyways, it was only a few hours after I'd been... created, and Vlad was walking be around the lab, showing me the ropes, and explaining what my purpose in life was. He said I was going to be a great sister. He slipped and some chemicals mixed or something- one way or another, all of a sudden there was another body forming in the open chamber. It was going faster than I had and it was honestly kinda creepy."

"And BOOM! There was little Leon. I had taken around a week, maybe more to completely develop, Leon had taken less than a minute. Vlad had thought he would be way super powerful, but he seemed to be just as average as I was. Only difference? Physically, Leon just isn't up to par. Never has been. It's not something he seems to be outgrowing either. He's trained like crazy for years and it really just doesn't improve. All that really changes is his ability to fight through it."

"Doesn't that mean he gets more endurance?" I questioned.

Dani shook her head. "No. He still gets just as tired in the same amount of time. It's how long he can fight while being tired that's improved."

"So... Endurance?"

Dani rolled her eyes. "Sure."

BB looked at me. "Does that mean we should like, not train him or anything?"

Dani glared at him. "What? No! When I say limited I mean by ghost standards, which are about 17% higher than human standards. He could still kick your ass, and barely break a sweat while doing it."

"So why is he still sleeping?" BB tossed his plastic plate to the sink.

"He way over did himself." Dani admitted. "It took Danny such a long time to master duplication and it still takes a lot out of him- not as much as his wail, but still a lot. Duplication is kinda like Leon's equivalent of Danny's wail. He was practicing it on and off for hours on end, and then held it for like, ten minutes straight. He doesn't heal as fast as Danny, Liz, or I would. Doesn't do it in the same way either. Any other ghost would just wait for a while, depending on the injury. Leon? He's gotta sleep it off."

Beast Boy leaned back in his chair. "Fun. So, he can't like, just sit there and watch his skin heal like Danny can?"

"I mean he can, but it takes a little longer. And remember Beast Boy, fast healing isn't always good. It hurts like hell half the time."

"Good morning friends!" Starfire announced, waltzing into the room. "Is the sunrise not most glorious?"

"Starfire, hush!" I hissed, glancing at Leon. "He's still sleeping."

Starfire looked at Leon. "He too should see this wonderful sky!" Before anyone could stop her, she skipped over to the sleeping ghost and began to shake his shoulder. "Blueberry! Blueberry wake up!"

"Starfire!" Dani jumped up. "Don't!"

Leon groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore Starfires pushes and prods. "Ten more minutes..." He muttered.

"Come see the sunrise my friend!" She said, latching onto his arm and yanking him to his feet.

Slowly, Leon cracked open one eye. "Starfire, I'm trying to sleep."

"Have the sweet dreams later!" She insisted. "Look at the beautiful sunrise Blueberry! Is it not glorious?"

Leon looked out the window with a yawn and smiled at Starfire. "You're right Strawberry- it's beautiful!"

Starfire sat on the ground and Leon leaned on her shoulder, falling asleep in a matter of seconds.

"Hey," Dani leaned closer to me and BB. "Don't tell Leon I told you guys about his... I dunno what the right word is. Condition? He doesn't tell people. Danny and Liz don't even know. So... Just keep it a secret, k?"

BB pretended to zip his lips shut and throw away the key.

"We won't tell anyone," I promised.

"Thank you!" Dani gushed, hugging first Beast boy and then me. Before I could push her away or yell at her and explain my no physical contact rule, she skipped over and joined Leon and Starfire to watch the sunrise.

"So," BB looked at me, sipping from his water. "Danny isn't back yet?"

"Nope."

"Well, the way I see it, we could do one of two things; look for him when we know he's gonna be fine and come back when he's ready, or play video games."

I glared at him. "Those options are a little dumb, don't you think? You know what we should do."

He nodded seriously. "You're right, you're right, I'm sorry." He jumped up from the table. "I CALL FIRST PLAYER!"


	23. Old friends new look- Danny

Chapter 23 Danny

Maybe my first words to Derek should have been emotional. Maybe they should have been meaningful or sweet or something. Instead I looked at him, blinked, and said “Dude, I would _not_ want to come across you in a dark ally.”

“Babe,” Derek slowly stepped into the room and raised an eyebrow. “Um, who the hell is this? Danny who?”

“You got tattoos?” I asked. “Dude, those are sick! And you're hair!”

Suddenly a knife was pressed to my neck and Jessica had been pushed away me. “What are you _talking_ about?” Derek hissed. “Who are you?”

“Derek,” Jessica pulled his arm down and was able to pry him away from me. “It's Danny.”

“He died.”

Jess shook her head. “It's Danny!” She repeated.

Derek gave me a long, hard look, the switchblade still in his hand. “Prove it.”

“You're hair _used_ to be red, although apparently you've now opted for green, you dated Liz for a while- she was your first girlfriend and your first kiss, she killed her dad Robert with fire because it was the last missing element to kill him, do I really need to go on?”

Derek blinked. “Well I'll be damned...” Slowly he pocketed his blade and bro hugged me, looking at me with wide eyes. He had gotten a lot taller, but I had a few inches on him. Half of his hair was green and long; the other half was short and the natural brown of his hair. His ears were still pierced, though he currently wasn't wearing any earrings. A diamond was in his cartilage.

He was wearing a band T shirt and while the sleeves where kinda long, most of his arms were still exposed. In the years that had gone by since I'd seen him, he had gotten inked. There weren't that many and they weren't that big, but they were still cool.

“You like?” He asked, showing them off proudly.

“Yeah.” I'd always kinda wanted a tattoo. Maddie had one; Jack and Jazz had never known. She'd gotten it in high school; it was Albert Einstein riding on a microscope half naked. She'd shown it to me when I went into high school freshman year to explain the dangers of getting drunk.

Maddie had said it was a dumb thing, but it still had meaning to her. That's why I wanted a tattoo- just to preserve some sort of important meaning.

I didn't know if Derek's had meaning- but they were still cool. He had some sort of Japanese word on his left wrist, and a constellation of stars on his right. There were song lyrics from Black Vail Bride on his inner left arm from Black parade.

“Check this out!” Without warning, Derek pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side. Almost all of his back was covered by a huge black and white dragon, it's head resting between Derek's shoulder blades.

“Dude!”

“Cool right?”

“He cried like a baby when he got it.” Jessica chimed in. “I don't blame him- those things hurt.”

I turned to her. “Do you have one?”

She nodded. “Yup!” She pulled her shirt down just far enough to show me her collar bone. There was a black Danny Phantom logo there.

“Is that really-?”

Jess shared a look with Derek. He too, had my logo tattooed on his collar bone. “These were the first tattoos we got.” Jess told me, a hint of pride in her voice.

“Why?” Suddenly, my stomach growled, giving them a chance to change the subject.

“Are you hungry?” Jess asked. “C'mon, I'll get you some food.”

As we went back down stairs, Derek draped his arm over my shoulder. “Whats with the bruises man? Those look painful.” He poked one on my neck and I winced.

“They are. I was strangled.”

Derek laughed. “You and Lizzie getting a little rough in the bedroom these days? You are finally together, right? Where is she anyway?”

I stopped walked and leaned against a wall, suddenly feeling sick.

“She's dead.”

Jessica and Derek looked at me. “Excuse me, what?”

“She's... she's dead.” It was almost creepy how slow and calm my voice was. I'd said this so many times, it was like my mouth went on autopilot- saying the cold harsh truth. “The Guys In White killed her. She died April 2nd of this year.”

Jessica covered her mouth in horror. “8 months ago?”

I nodded. “They shot her, kidnapped us, tortured us, and then one day she just... died.”

Suddenly Jess was on the floor, a mess of tears and sobs. It was so sudden, I was scared for a moment that she was having a stroke or something.

“No!” She cried. “She can't! She can't do that!”

Derek was frozen next to me. His eyes were blank. He was looking at Jess, but I had a feeling he really wasn't seeing her. “Dead?” His voice was so quiet, I wasn't entirely sure he'd even spoken. Derek looked like he was about to fall to the ground, so I helped him slowly sit down.

I wanted to tell them something comforting. I wanted to tell them that she was in a better place, that it had been quick and painless- anything. But I couldn't. I couldn't say anything. Jessica's hiccuped sobs echoed though the halls.

Suddenly, my heart shattered. It didn't crack, it didn't break, it _shattered._ “Stop...” I whispered. “Jess, stop!” She didn't hear me.

I was looking into a mirror; Jess' cries and Derek's empty look were exactly like mine had been.

“Stop...” I whispered again. What had I expected? They had known Liz even longer than I had! Where they supposed to be like the Titans, who had been depressed for a few months? Leon had cried, but this, this was pure _heartbreak_ ; was this how the titans had been seeing me? How had they been able to stand it?

Jessica tackled me in a hug, her face buried in my chest, hands gripping painfully tight into my back and hair. “I'm so sorry!” She said. “She's gone, she's gone, she's-” He voice broke and a fresh wave of sobs washed over her.

I couldn't move, couldn't talk. This was what I'd been doing for months. To everyone I knew- to myself.

“Jess, don't cry, I can't-”

How could anyone stand to see someone like this? How could anyone see a friend this sad? How?

Another pair of arms wrapped around us- Derek. “It's alright.” He whispered, pressing his forehead to the top of Jess' head. “It's ok to be sad... Shh, Jess, it's ok.”

_It's ok to be sad._

I couldn't breathe. Was this some kind of sick joke? The one thing no one had ever told me; after all the 'we're here for you's' and 'it's ok' and 'she's in a better places', not once had anyone ever said 'it's ok to be sad'.

“Danny,” Derek looked at me, his chocolate brown eyes watering. “I'm so sorry I-” he couldn't finish.

The two hugged me tighter, both crying, both grieving, both apologizing to me. I couldn't take it anymore.

“STOP!” I pushed them off. “I can't do this! I just-” I realized I was crying. My chest ached and I wondered if it was physically possible for my heart to have been broken. Before Jess or Derek could stop me I jumped up and ran into the backyard.

It wasn't in the best condition, but was just like how Liz had described; swing set to the left, treehouse in the huge tree to the right. I tripped over a rock and fell on my knees. I don't know if it was because if it was because I was so physically tired, or because I was so emotionally strung out, but I snapped.

“Danny?” A gentle hand was on my shoulder. “You're shaking.”

I didn't doubt it. I hadn't cried this hard since Liz had first died. My entire chest hurt and after Jess mentioned it, I could feel myself shaking. Maybe I was having another panic attack.

Jess hugged me, and a few moments later, Derek popped up, hugging us both. And yes, we were all sobbing. Eventually, we all calmed down.

“C'mon,” Derek pulled me to my feet as Jess wiped at her eye. “You look starved half to death.”

Jess walked ahead and danced around the kitchen, getting out glasses for water and plates. “We haven't gone grocery shopping in a while,” She apologized. “We have cookies, banana's, I could make you a sandwich real quick,”

“I could grab you a beer.” Derek offered.

“ _Root beer_.” Jessica corrected. “Or cola. Whatever you want.”

My stomach growled. “Just some water please.”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “What do you want to eat.”

“I'm fine.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “Ok. Sure. So I'm gonna make you a sandwich and you're gonna eat it. Turkey is all we have so you just gotta deal with that.”

I was going to protest but found that I didn't want to. A turkey sandwich sounded _amazing_. “Thanks.”

Derek winked and turned away. Jess walked over with a glass of water and a weird looking first aid kit.

“Drink this,” She said. “And let me check out your neck.”

She opened the kit. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen; there were weird looking bandages and strange tech things and odd pokey doodads. I was very specific with my medical vocabulary.

“What is that?”

Jess grinned. “Ghost first aid kit. Robert made it so if he or Liz ever got hurt it'd be easy to fix. Now hold still.” She held the small screen thing up to my neck and double tapped on it. “Doesn't look like any internal damage to your neck- though if there was any it may have fixed itself already.” She switched to a thermometer. “You've got a slight fever, but it's probably due to the fact that you're dehydrated, way underweight, and your body is working overtime to heal your neck.”

I looked at her, stunned. Derek laughed from the kitchen. “She's a regular ghost doctor- I know.”

“I'm gonna get you your own kit.” Jessica decided. “Just in case- there are tons of them anyways. They really aren't that hard to use.”

She disappeared into the basement. Derek laughed and slid my plate to me over the counter. “Be careful- she might ask to do your hair when she comes back up. That's her job you know.”

“You guys have jobs?”

“We can't all be superheroes. She works at a hair salon across the street from the diner I work at. I'm a waiter.”

I nodded. “Cool. I was wondering how you managed to afford an iphone.” Derek glanced at his phone. “That? That was a gift. Entire place was.” He gestured around the house.

“Don't your parents know where you are?” I asked.

Derek looked at me strangely. “Dude, I haven't lived with my parents like, _ever._ My sister raised me. Not that she did the best job; she's in prison now.”

“What about Jessica's parents?”

“Dad walked out when she was 13- Liz never knew. Mom died while we were in Amity.”

I froze mid-chew. “You mean you guys came back to California homeless?”

“Yup.”

“Why didn't you call us? We could have done something- anything!”

Derek shrugged. “We didn't need it yet. I'd been in a foster home so Jess crashed with me. But when you guys got kidnapped the Guys In White thought we might know something so they came after us too. That's when we left.”

“T- they came after you?”

“Don't worry,” Derek knocked back a can of root beer in one gulp. “Never caught us. Jess and I are too smart for them. A couple of months ago some woman saw us on the street and was like 'I help run away's' and BOOM, here we are.”

“Seriously? That was lucky.” I bit into my sandwich. Derek had vastly improved his cooking skills.

He nodded. “Yeah. She knew of this neighborhood and let us pick this house- lot's of runaway's come through here I guess. We just decided to stay. The gov decided to keep the public away from it so no one is ever gonna buy it or anything. Besides, I kinda enjoy keeping this place safe. Anyways, E, the woman who saved us, she still sees us all the time. Maybe I'll introduce you sometime.”

“Maybe. Good sandwich, by the way.”

“Jess' recipe.”

“You need a hair cut.” Jess popped up out of nowhere, slamming a metal ghost med kit in front of me. “I have _never_ seen such split ends. If horror movies had a physical form, it would be your hair.”

“Thanks.”

Derek laughed and snickered a 'told you so' to me, before popping a potato chip in his mouth.

“You need a deep conditioning treatment too. You're hair is so weak, but that's because you clearly haven't been eating right. It's a mess. Not to mention how long it is.” Jess ran her fingers through my hair, an inquisitive look on her face. “You need a new look.”

I rolled my eyes. “Why?”

“Your hair is holding you back- it's keeping you depressed.”

I looked at Derek for help. “Is she for real?”

Derek nodded, a smirk twisting his lips up.

“Take me and Derek, for example,” Jess explained, still using her fingers to twist my hair this way and that. “Every time something important happened in our life, our hair or body got a change. A piercing, a cut, a tat. You? All that happened is that your hair grew out. I've seen your baby pictures- your hair has always been the same.”

“So?”

Jess sighed. “When my mom died, I pierced my nose. When the Guys in white started chasing me and I thought Liz and you were dead, I dyed my hair blue. When I got my life back on track, I got my first tattoo. The diamond in my nose was in my moms wedding ring. Liz was the first one to get me to put blue in my hair, and getting rid of the brown helped me except her being gone. And my tat helped me realize that I have something to live for.”

Derek nodded. “I know it seems weird dude, but I did the same thing. I let Jess change my hair- the new look helped me move forward in my life; a life that's new. Even the color change helped. Every tattoo I have helped me move on from something or another. These things work.”

I finished my sandwich and let Jess keep messing with my hair. True, long hair really was kinda annoying. It was a pain to tame and, as Jess had pointed out, it did get spit ends. Not that it really mattered to me, but when she pointed it out, it made me feel self conscious. Did I want to change my hair? What about it was holding me back?

“Let me think about it, ok?” Jess nodded. “Sure!” She pulled me to my feet and shoved me towards Derek. “D, go get him some new clothes. Danny, I have no idea what's on yours, but it's stinks. Go change.”

Derek's room was also Jessica's room, and I strongly suspected it had used to be Liz's parents room. The walls were red and covered in band posters, and pictures.

“I'm not sure my stuff will fit you.” Derek admitted. “You're taller than me and a lot skinner too.”

“Doesn't matter.”

Derek told me to go through his draws and his half of the closet while he opened a window. The cool December breeze felt good on my back.

“Here Danny,” Derek joked. “Found the perfect thing for you to wear.” He tossed one of Jess' bras at me.

I laughed and threw it back. Eventually we found that almost all of Derek's jeans were too big for me to wear, unless I had a belt. Which neither he nor I did. Jessica had a ton, so I used the least sparkly, least feminine one I could find. Which was still dark blue and shimmered like a disco ball.

Thankfully, Derek's shirts were also big, so they covered the unfortunate fashion moment I was experiencing. “You don't look that bad.” Derek insisted.

“The belt is dumb.”

“Well duh.”

I went into the bathroom to change while Derek waited in his room, still snickering about the belt.

When I caught sight of my reflection, it kind of scared of me. It wasn't my face, or my neck, it was my body.

“ _You're way underweight.”_ That's what Jess had said. That's what the Titans had said too, but I hadn't listened. Now, it made sense. I could see it. You could count my ribs, see my hip bones, my collar bone jutted out. Not in a good way.

Out of curiosity, I checked what size jeans Derek wore. My blood ran cold. He was a whole two sizes _bigger_ than I had been a year ago. I felt sick. For the first it dawned on me what I'd been doing to myself.

It hurt. It hurt to see myself like this. What the hell was I doing? What would Liz think? What were the Titans seeing? Was it hurting them this bad too? Was this was Derek and Jessica saw today?

The wind blew in through the window and brushed my bangs out of my face. I looked in my mirror again. Without my bangs hanging there, I wasn't hidden. I had to face myself.

“This has to stop.” I decided. For a second, I thought I saw Liz standing there, pushing my bangs back, the way she had when I was upset. The way she had when she knew I needed it. But then I blinked and she was gone.

I walked out and Derek nodded. “Nice.”

I raced Derek down stairs. “I want to do it.” I told Jessica. “Do it now.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The haircut. A tattoo. A piercing. Any of it, all of it, I don't care. Anything that'll help me move on.”

She looked surprised and glanced at Derek, her expression asking him if he'd said anything. Derek shrugging, showing he was just as shocked.

“Ok. A haircut is always a good place to start.” She sat me in a chair in front of her and walked around me. “I can work around the bangs and-”

“Lose the bangs.” I blurted. I felt like I wasn't even the one talking. Maybe I wasn't. Maybe I'd regret what I was saying, but in the moment I didn't care.

Jessica folded her arms. “You sure? You've always had them-”

“Exactly-” I felt light headed. Was I even talking? Did it matter? “I've _always_ had them. And Liz always brushed them back. It's stupid but I want them gone. If I'm ever gonna move on I can't have my bangs. I can't.”

Jess just nodded. “Whatever's gonna help you. What else do you want?”

“Go wild. Do whatever you want.”

She smiled. “Alright! Let's see if I can revive this dead hair!” And so Jess went wild with my hair. By the time she was done I looked like a different person. It was short again, shorter than I'd ever had it in my life. None of it was in my face, nothing was covering my ears, nothing was falling down to my neck. It was unusual for me.

Instead she had found that when given the chance, my hair will actually naturally spike upwards instead of falling downwards.

“Damn son,” Derek nodded in approval. “I like.”

Jess nodded and clapped her hands. “I just- gah I love it! So cute! I love the way it just naturally has those two little spikes right above your ears! And the way it just comes to a point at the top here without gel or anything! Your hair is so PERFECT!”

I blushed. “Thanks?”

“So,” Derek leaned back on the wall. “Were you serious about wanting a tattoo?”

Jessica spun to him. “Derek!”

“You have one, I have a ton, why can't he have one?” Derek said in defense.

Jess looked at me. “Tattoos are permanent Danny! Don't just get one to get one!”

Derek rolled his eyes. “Thank you captain obvious, he knows that.” He flicked the back of her head. “He ain't a little girl- he's a big boy.”

I bit my lip and looked at the ink on Derek's arms. I was kinda a superhero- were heroes allowed to have tattoos? And what about Dani and Leon? I was kinda supposed to be their role model, what would they think if I got a tat?

I thought for a second, and an image popped into my head. I knew exactly what I wanted my tattoo wanted to look like, and I knew even more that I wanted it now.

“I want one.” I said. “It's gonna mean something, don't worry.”

Derek nodded and grabbed his phone. “Well come on dude, let's go get it!”

“What's it gonna mean?” Jessica asked as we headed out the door.

“Liz.” I told her. “It's going to stand for Liz.”


	24. Attack on puns- Raven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING- ATTACK ON TITAN PUNS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Chapter 24 Raven

 

No, we didn't look for Danny, or panic, or any of the other things I suggested. We played video games and started planning the Teen Titans Christmas Extravaganza.

And yes, Beast boy _was_ in fact first player, even when Cyborg eventually crawled out of his room, insisting his batteries were recharged.

Dani turned out to be like an excitable puppy on steroids when it came to video games. “Can we play this one next?” “I wanna play winner!” “You guys have like, EVERY GAME EVER!”. The constant stream of video game requests and compliments never died. She also ended up to be in the Beast Boy category of gamer; loves games, but can't play to save her life.

“She has spunk, doesn't she?” Cyborg laughed, leaning back on the kitchen counter. I looked at her distastefully as she jumped up and down on the couch, swinging the game controller over her head and screaming in BB's face.

“TOLD YA I COULD BEATCHYA!” She bragged.

“REMATCH!” The green teen demanded.

“Not sure if 'spunk' is the word I would choose.”

Cy shoved me playfully. “C'mon, ya gotta admit these kids are fun!”

“They're 14.”

“You were 14 once too.”

“Yeah, and like every other 14 year old I was annoying as hell.”

Cyborg rolled his eyes. “I think it's cool how they're here. I mean, they're good for Danny, they're good for the rest of the team, and like it or not, they're good for you too.”

“Dani stole my tea.”

Cyborg pretended to have a heart attack. “I take it all back! She's a spawn of Satan sent from the seventh circle of hell to ruin your life.”

I could help but laugh at that. “Ok, ok. She isn't _that_ bad.”

Leon and Starfire were sitting on the floor a little ways away from the video game warriors. Leon was trying to convince Starfire to make gingerbread men cookies with him.

“Why would I eat little men?” She asked innocently.

“They aren't actually alive Starfire, they're just cookies.”

“But they are so cute!”

“This isn't attack on titan- they'll be fine!”

“We are being attacked?”

Leon tossed his hands in the air in exasperation. “Who said anything about being attacked!?”

Cy and I laughed. “I'll admit, they are a good source of entertainment.”

“WHAT NOW SUCKA!” Dani shouted in BB's face. “YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, DANI, THE GAMING QUEEN!” She broke into a strange victory dance that was some sort of disturbing crossover of krumping and disco.

“DANI!” Leon shrieked. “MY EYES! I'M BLIND!”

Dani did a flip off the couch and did her victory dance towards him. “Can't handle my moves, huh?”

Leon pretended to vomit. “Oh God, please stop!”

Dani laughed and continued to aggressively dance towards him. “SOMEONE STOP HER!” Leon pleaded. “BEFORE HER TERRIBLE DANCING DESTROYS US ALL!”

Starfire gave him a look of understanding. “Oh! So this is who is attacking the titans!” With a laugh she lunged forward and tackled Dani-with-an-i. Dani yelped and the two girls tumbled backwards, Dani landing on her stomach and Star on top, pinning her there. “Is this an appropriate counterattack Blueberry?”

Leon took one look at the scene in front of him and doubled over in laughter. Suddenly in a blur of green, BB pounced on the two.

“ _This_ is a good counterattack!” He gloated, despite not really attacking at all; just sitting on top of Starfire.

“That's a dog pile, not a counterattack.” Cy voiced my thoughts. BB turned into a dog, making Leon laugh even harder.

“I can't breathe!” The blue haired teen gasped, his face pressing into the carpet.

“BB, you're drooling on my hat.” Dani complained. She rolled to the side and pushed the two off her, sending them sprawling. BB grabbed the hat in his mouth and growled playfully.

“I am _not_ playing tug-of-war with this hat.” Dani said firmly. Beast Boy didn't let go.

“Heads up.” I called to her. By now we were used to Beast Boy getting bored to the point of wanting to play with animal toys, and kept a box of pet toys in the living room. I tossed her his tug-of-war rope, and she switched him for the hat.

Leon laughed. “Does anyone realize that there is a half ghost clone playing tug-of-war with an animal shape shifter in a T shaped tower full of super heroes?”

I lifted a shoulder. “Yeah, so?”

“THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TEENAGE THINGS!”

“Hey, if you wanna go enroll in high school no ones stopping you.” I told him. “I hear that the inside of lockers are very nice when shoved inside one.”

Leon playfully punched me, earning him my class A death glare. “Sorry.” He said, his eyes wide.

Cyborg slung his arm over his shoulders in an effort to save him from my wrath- a smart and possibly life saving move.

“So what's this I hear about making cookies?” He was asking. That was all I needed to hear before I just zoned out. Starfire was watching one of those TV Christmas movies made for kids- the one about Frosty the Snowman- so she wasn't interested in moving anytime soon. Dani and BB were completely invested in their game, and since the boys were planning on making cookies, I was on my own.

I thought for a moment about waking Robin, but decided not too. He had been so tired last time I'd seen him, and if he hadn't automatically woken up exactly 8 hours or however long his perfect boyscout internal alarm clock was set to, then he clearly needed the rest. Instead, I sat on the couch and read.

The show Star was watching ended sooner than expected, so she went and made cookies too. It wasn't too much of a problem, as Cy and Leon, for whatever reason, were making what looked like an entire gingerbread man army.

“It smells good!” BB panted, momentarily switching back into his boy form to catch his breath.

Leon and Cyborg laughed. “Just wait.”

Starfire wasn't in on what they were doing- she was in her own little corner of the kitchen, making her own cookies. Lord only knows what she was using to make them. Again, I zoned out of what the others did. I registered that another Christmas movie came on, and that BB and Dani stopped playing and instead helped with cookies. What I did not register was how much time had past. Or what was happening to the cookies. Or how they were being decorated. Or how _stupid_ these weirdos could be.

It was around 4 or 5 at night when Robin finally managed to crawl out of bed and join us. And it was his half surprised half freaked out gasp that jarred me out of my book and back to reality.

“ _What is this?_ ” Robin demanded.

I glanced over my shoulder and my jaw dropped. When I had thought that the team was making a cookie army, and I hadn't expected them to _legitimately_ make an army, complete with gingerbread weapons. And this wasn't any army, oh no, this was then entire cast of Attack on Titan, including giant effing Titan cookies.

Robin looked at me. “I had nothing to do with this!” I blurted out.

Dani smiled at Robin. “Wanna Eren Jeager?” She held out the most enraged gingerbread man I'd ever laid eyes on. “He bleeds if you bite off his arms and legs.” To prove her point she snapped the appendages off, and a red filling burst out.

Robin raised his eyebrows. “Did... Did you guys _seriously_ spend all day making... _this?_ ”

The five looked at each other, then nodded, all laughing. Robin shook his head, then laughed. “You guys- I swear to God!”

Leon held up half a cookie. “You could have Marco! He's good, but he's not _half_ as good as the other cookies!”

“DUDE!” Beast Boy raged. “HOW DARE YOU! DID YOU MISS THE PART WHERE WE DON'T DO THAT?”

Cy shrugged, biting into a cookie in the shape of a horse. “Jean doesn't seem to mind.”

Robin examined one of the smallest cookies. “Is this Levi?” Dani nodded. “You know, I tried to make him my computer password, but it was too short.”

Everyone in the kitchen laughed but Starfire.

“Wanna see a magic trick?” Dani-with-an-i offered. She grabbed a mug of hot chocolate and a small titan cookie. “I can turn this Titan into a famous ship.”

Everyone watched intently as she dropped the cookie in the mug, and it sunk to the bottom. “See!” She said excitedly. “It became the _Titan_ _-_ _ic_!”

“Guys,” I walked over. “I don't even _watch_ this show and I know that you crossed like 39 thousand boundaries.” I paused. “But just so long as I have the opportunity- Eren lay have lost an armin' leg, but at least he didn't lose Armin.”

Dani, Leo and BB were instantly on the ground laughing.

Suddenly the door opened and another figure walked in. “Did I hear that correctly?” He said. “ _Raven_ made a _joke_?”

Everyone stared as the tall male walked into the room. “Are these attack on titan cookies? Dude, that's awesome!” The guy reached out for a cookie, exposing the tattoo on his wrist.

“Can we _help you_?” Cyborg asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The random tattoo guy raised and eyebrow. “Uh, sure. You can pass me a Mikasa cookie.”

Dani-with-an-i walked up to the guy. “Danny?”

“Duh! Who'd you think it was?”

Leon pounced on the older ghost boy, straddling his torso. “WHAT THE HELL WHEN DID YOU GET A HAIR CUT WHEN DID YOU GET A TATTOO WHERE WERE YOU YOU HAD US ALL WORRIED ARE YOU ALRIGHT WHAT THE HELL DANNY I SWEAR RO GOD YOU-” Danny pushed Leon off of him.

“First of all, language!” He scolded. “Second of all, take a deep breath and chill ok?”

Robin looked at Danny. “He has a point- what is with your look?”

“YOUR HAIR HAS NEVER BEEN SHORT!” Leon yelled. “YOU DON'T HAVE BANGS YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR SPIKES YOU DON'T HAVE-” Dani covered his mouth with her hand.

Starfire ruffled Danny's hair. “It is softer than before.” She commented, and Danny laughed.

“Start from the beginning.” I suggested, sitting on the couch. “Where were you?”

“I met up with a few friends.” When everyone glared at him, Danny elaborated. “I chilled with Jessica and Derek for a while.”

“How'd you manage to track them down!?” Dani wanted to know.

“No idea,” Danny said dismissively. “They're crashing at Liz's old house. And no, I'd never been there before, so I have no idea how I found the place. Jess has a job as a hairdresser or whatever, so she did my hair.”

“It's nice.” I said before I could stop myself. It wasn't a lie- Danny did look nice with the new hair cut. You could see his face more clearly, and he didn't look as homeless as he had before. He looked older too.

“Thanks. Anyways, Derek and Jess both had a few tats, so I figured I wanted one too.”

Robin narrowed his eyes. “You just _figured_ you'd just permanently mark your body?”

Danny shrugged. “Ok, so there was a little more thought to it than that, but you get the point.”

“Lemme see it!” BB demanded. Danny proudly showed off his inner left wrist.

I had to admit, I liked his tattoo. Whoever had done it was talented, and his ghost powers had obviously kicked in so it was already healed. The tattoo itself was about the size of my palm. It was a star that looked 3-D; the skin around the star was inked to look like rocks crumbling into itself. The inner design of the star had the illusion of being under Danny's skin; it was the galaxy. No planets, just stars, and those colored cloud things, and the wonders of space. It was honestly kind of mesmerizing.

“I like it.” Cyborg admitted.

“Can I get one?” Leon asked hopefully.

Danny laughed. “Leon, when you're 17, I will consider letting you get a tattoo.”

“Really?!”

“No.”

Leon sat back on the couch and pouted, grumbling about Danny being a hypocrite.

Starfire hugged Danny and welcomed him back, then asked if he would join her in watching a Christmas movie. Danny agreed on the condition that everyone watched it together. So I got stuck watching Elf crammed on a couch with 7 other teenagers.

The movie itself wasn't bad- I like Will Ferrell- but having to pause the movie to explain references to Starfire was annoying. I heard Leon compare her to Castiel from that one show Supernatural.

We were about halfway through the movie when things started getting weird.

“Yeah?” Danny said, leaning forward. Everyone stared at him. “Who said my name?” He asked.

“I didn't hear anything...” Robin looked at the rest of us.

Danny shrugged. “My bad.” A few minutes later. “Seriously,” Danny paused the movie. “Who is saying my name like that?”

“Danny,” I rolled my eyes. “No one is saying anything. It's probably just something in the movie.”

Danny didn't look sure, but resumed the movie anyways. Everyone but Star kept an eye on him though. As the movie went on, he got more and more agitated, flinching now and then as if someone really was saying something in his ear.

For a while I toned out the movie and just focused on all the other sounds in the house, seeing if anything sounded even remotely like it was saying Danny's name. But nothing was making any noise.

 _Maybe he's just tired._ I reasoned. _Or paranoid about something. He just flew back from lord knows where. Maybe he thinks someone saw him._

“You alright?” I whispered to him.

He jumped a little and nearly gave himself whiplash looking at me. “Yeah,” he said too quickly. “I'm fine.”

Dani-with-an-i and Leon looked at him too. “Ya sure?” His clone questioned. “You look a little pale.”

Danny looked at her. “I said I'm fine.”

By now, the rest of the team had caught on to our conversation and were all looking back at us with concern.

Suddenly his body jerked a little as a chill went through him. “That was weird.” He commented.

“Maybe a ghost passed through you!” Leon joked. “That's what they say causes chills like that.”

Danny gave him an unamused face, turned his arm intangible, and stuck it through Leon's chest. “Oh look, a ghost passed through you. Chills yet?”

Leon just laughed and pretended to shake until Danny moved his hand.

“I'm getting some water.” Danny announced, standing from the couch and walking over to the kitchen. Halfway there he stopped and turned back.

“Dani, knock it off!” He snapped.

“Knock what off?”

“Quit saying my name! I know it's you.”

Dani raised her hands in surrender. “Dude, I ain't sayin' nothin'.”

“ _Someone_ is saying my name.” Danny argued. “And it's clearly a girl. And it doesn't sound like Star or Raven to me.” He turned back and continued to walk to the kitchen.

“DANI!” he yelled. “I told you to stop!”

“She didn't say anything!” Cyborg protested.

Danny spun around. “You guys, this isn't funny. I get it, it was a funny joke, haha, but seriously, knock it the hell off!”

Leon looked at Danny with concern. “Danny, no one is pranking you... are you alright?” the kid walked up to the older ghost, pressing the back of his hand to Danny's forehead. “You're warm.”

Danny nodded. “Jess said I had a slight fever and-” he stumbled to the side.

“Danny!” Leon reached out and caught him.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Danny snapped, looking at Dani. “You know exactly who I am!”

“I never said I didn't... Danny, there's something wrong with you.” Dani joined her fellow clone by Danny's side.

“You literally just asked who I was.”

“No Danny, I didn't.”

Robin slowly inched closer to me. “Is his mind being messed with?” He whispered. I closed my eyes for a second and focused. There was nothing in Danny's mind... His emotions were a little frantic and he was tired but that was it.

BAM!

“What the hell does that even mean?” Danny cried in frustration. My eyes snapped open.

“Anything?” Robin pressed.

“No...” I lied. “Nothing.” I didn't want to lie, but I didn't know what I'd just felt. It wasn't mind control, but it wasn't his mind either. I mean, it was his mind, but there was someone else there, just for a moment. It was almost like... Well... Like a ghost.

Danny covered his ears with his hands. “Stop talking!” He demanded. No one had spoken in minutes. “STOP IT!” He yelled, squeezing his eyes closed. He almost looked ready to cry.

Leon and Dani sent a desperate glance at us over their shoulders, fear in their faces. “I don't know what to do!” Dani whispered.

Leon guided Danny to the ground so he wasn't at risk of falling. “Danny? Bro? Can you hear me?” He muttered quietly.

“It's her.” Danny opened his eyes. “It's Liz. Leon I can hear her!”

In the blink of an eye, everyone was around him. Robin and I shared a look. Obviously if Danny was hearing his dead girlfriend, there was a serious issue.

“What's she saying?” Leon asked casually, as if this were a regular occurance.

“She keeps saying me name-” Danny's voice cracked. “Asking who I am? It's not stopping! Leon _make it stop!_ ”

It scared me how desperate he sounded. He was in pain- this, whatever _this_ was- was driving him insane.

Leon looked up for help. _What do I do?_ He mouthed. Everyone just glanced at each other helplessly. Robin nudged me slightly. “Anything you can do for him?” He whispered.

I joined Leon on the floor next to Danny. “I'm gonna try something,” Danny looked at me with pleading eyes. “It might hurt a little, or feel a little weird, but trust me ok?”

Danny turned his head and buried his face in his clones lap. “Just make it stop.” He whimpered.

Dani-with-an-i ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes begging me to help her clone. I placed my hand on his forehead and closed my eyes His skin was hot to the touch- almost scary hot, but that wasn't what I was focused on. Instead I seperated my mind from my body, and let in enter his.

He flinched. “Don't fight it.” I warned him. “The more you fight, the more painful it will be.” It took a second, but Danny's mind relaxed, and I pushed a little further in. Being in someone's mind is weird- it's flashes of thoughts, surges of emotions and chemicals and hormones, and other brain activity.

“Danny, can you feel me here?” I asked. His mind was reflexively fighting against my presence.

“He's been brain snatched before,” Leon informed me. “Not sure if that means anything but-”

It did mean something. “Danny, I'm not controlling your mind. Don't fight me.”

“It hurts.” He groaned. I could feel pain flashing through his head- he was going to have on hell of a headache after this. I would too.

“Don't fight me.”

“This hurts!” Danny cried.

“Raven,” BB touched my shoulder. “Maybe you should stop.” Someone hushed him and pulled him away.

Danny's mind was a mess and I was beginning to think that I should just give up or just straight up knock him out or something. Then, something appeared. It was just a quick flash of light, like a shooting star. Without thinking, I grabbed it. The force knocked me out of Danny's mind with a harsh slash, making us both call out.

The light hit my chest and sent me on my back. It circled in the air and disappeared with a POP!

“What... the hell?” Cyborg looked at where the light had been in shock.

Danny was breathing heavily on the floor. Robin cursed under his breath. “Danny? You ok?” Robin put a hand on Danny's shoulder, concern written all over his face. Danny jerked him off and darted out of the room, frantically wiping at his eyes.

“It's alright,” Dani-with-an-i stood up. “I'll go take care of him. I got this.”

“What was in friend Danny's mind?” Starfire asked.

“Dunno.” Robin said. “But I'm gonna find out.” He grabbed my hand. “And Rae's gonna help me.”


	25. Daniel vs Danielle- Danny

Chapter 25- Danny

"Danny," I couldn't hear Raven very well through the rush of blood in my ears. "I'm not controlling your mind. Don't fight me." It was hard not to fight back. I wasn't sure what Raven was doing, but it reminded me a lot of what Freakshow's mind control orb had felt like.

"It hurts." I'd never had a migraine before, but Jazz had. I remembered sitting in her room keeping the windows shut and helping block out mom and dads craziness so she could rest. Apparently her head would feel like it was splitting in half, light would make it worse, and sound would sound. That's how I felt right now, only 10 times worse.

"Don't fight me." Raven repeated sternly, her cool palm resting on my forehead. I could feel her consciousness probing deeper into my thoughts. My breath hitched. I already felt like I was going to have a panic attack- I was hearing _Liz_ for God sake- and this wasn't helping.

"This hurts!" I couldn't help but shout. Maybe my pain threshold was lower cause I was tired or something, but I felt like I was going to be sick. Raven didn't stop, and I sensed her walking around my mind.

 _Make it stop, make it stop, MAKE IT STOP!_ My mind begged.

"Danny," It was Liz again. "Who is Danny? Tell me please!" Her voice was broken and staticy. Suddenly I felt like my brain was being ripped through my skull and Raven fell back. My headache disappeared in seconds. I looked up long enough to see some sort of weird light dissolve in the air with a POP!

Cyborg's eyes were wide. "What... the hell?"

Robin lowered himself so he was next to me on the floor. I heard him curse under his breath. "Danny?" His hand landed lightly on my shoulder. "You ok?"

I just jumped up and ran out of the room. I couldn't be around their pity, I couldn't be around their confusion, and I couldn't be around the obvious answer that was before us all- I'd finally gone completely and utterly insane.

Without meaning to I ended up in the gym. Hopefully the titans weren't gonna follow me and if they did, they probably wouldn't look for me in the gym. Slowly I stopped running and resorted to pacing the length of the wall instead. What in the holy hell had just happened!? Was I going insane? Was this one of Beast Boy's sick pranks? Maybe Slade was messing with my head.

I slammed my fist into the closest thing there was- a punching bag that was specially made for Starfire and her alien strength. It felt good to see the bag swing from where it was hanging. I punched it again, once again finding happiness in the power I felt. I tried my left jab and cursed.

It's been out of commission for too long. I only just got my cast off a few weeks ago, and now my hand was weak. Working it out was a good distraction from what had just happened.

The rest of the world seemed to fade away as I wailed on the bag. Hopefully Starfire wouldn't mind that I used it. I was so focused on beating the crap out of the punching bag, I didn't hear Dani when she walked in. I didn't hear her say my name. I didn't realize she was there at all until she tapped my shoulder and I reflexively spun around and tried to hit her.

"Easy Danny!" She yelped, bending backwards to dodge my fist. I stood there panting, just now realizing that my muscles were burning.

"What do you want?"

"Gee, it's great to see you too."

I turned away from her and hit the bag again. She watched carefully. "Your left hand isn't as strong as your right one, huh?"

"Kinda why I'm doing this."

"You're gonna make yourself sick Danny." I rolled my eyes and ignored her. "I'm serious." She put a hand on my arm and tried to lead me away from the punching bag. "You need to relax."

"I'm fine."

Dani narrowed her eye and placed her hands on her hips. "Uh huh, sure. Why hasn't your neck healed then?"

My fingers brushed over my neck where Slade had strangled me. Dani was right- it was still tender. I would have thought it'd be over with my now.

"He's strong." I argued.

"And your hands are already bruising." Dani added, holding one of my hands in both of hers. "You need to rest a little Danny."

"I said I'm fine." Before I could pull away, Dani yanked me to the floor. I opened my mouth to complain, but the look on her face stopped me.

"Did you sleep while you were with Jessica and Derek?" She inquired.

I shook my head. "I can tell. Your eyes are really dark. How are you actually feeling Danny?"

A huge list of answers ran through my head; nauseous, tired, sick, worn down, confused, scared, crazy.

"Fine." Was the answer I ended up choosing.

Dani glared at me. "I swear to God if you say that one more time-" She pushed her hand onto my forehead. "And I _still_ think you feel warm!"

I pushed her off. I doubted she'd stand for me punching anything again, so I grabbed a jump rope off the wall instead. I hadn't done cardio in a while anyways. Dani cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you kidding me right now? Are you seriously working out?"

"Gotta stay healthy, right?" I tried to pretend that I wasn't already getting winded and wasn't already feeling more tired than I should.

"Yeah, you do. And this isn't how you do that."

Again, I rolled my eyes. "You realize that this isn't the first time I've heard this speech before, right?"

"Then don't ya think it might be time to start listening to the people who are telling you to grow up and take care of yourself?"

I kept jumping rope. "I eat with you guys, I socialize with you guys, what else do you want?"

"How about you try _living_ instead of just existing?" She snapped. "There's more to life than sitting in a corner you know."

"I've been doing school online."

Dani snorted. "Yeah, as much as I know education is important, that's not really living either. I dunno Danny, go on a date or something! Get a hobby! Build little model spaceships like you used to."

"Why would I go on a date?"

"You know what I mean!"

"I'm a super hero Dani." I told her. "On top of that, I'm a super hero who has a super powerful branch of the government after him."

"When was the last time they even showed up?" She argued.

She wasn't wrong. It had been almost a year since the Guys In White had shown themselves. Cyborg had been searching in the depths on the internet to try and see if there was any sort of hidden agenda about coming and killing me too, but it seemed like they'd gone quiet since they'd murdered Liz.

"Besides," Dani went on. "You were a super hero in Amity too, and you had a life back then."

"Life was different back then."

Dani looked at me, her blue eyes the exact same shade as mine. "I know it was." She said quietly. "Dammit Danny, I know things are different now!" I was shocked to see that Dani's eyes were watering. "I know Liz is gone, I know you've been to hell and back multiple times. But don't you get it? You survived all that! Do you think the titans could have done that, were they in your position? Do you think Leon and I could have?"

I tripped over my jump rope and landed hard on my knees, looking up at Dani. She had pulled her beanie off and was twisting it in her hands anxiously.

"The answer is no, we couldn't have! But you did Danny! _You_ did! Yeah, Liz did it too, but she's gone now and you're still here! Think about it will ya? You lost your family, your friends! You almost died at the hands of the Guys In White but you _didn't_. You almost died while running away but _you_ _didn't._ You almost died when you went back _but you didn't!_ Can't you see that?"

"I- I had Liz-"

"Did you?" Dani looked down at me. She wasn't yelling at me. She was talking very emotionally, but unlike every other conversation I'd had like this, she wasn't yelling at me. "Did you really Danny?"

"Well yeah I-"

"No, you didn't. She wasn't there forcing every bite of food down your throat. She wasn't screaming at you to suck it up and live a little. You weren't walking her around on a little diamond studded leash. She was there living with you. That's not 'having her' Danny. That's being around her. And you don't need to be around her to live." She looked down at me. There were tears in her eyes, but they had yet to fall. "I know that doesn't sound like a difference," She admitted. "But think of it this way- you 'have' things that you own. You didn't own Liz. But you got to be around her. You got to be _with_ her. And I know it hurts without her. It's hard to be without the people we love."

"Dani-" She covered my mouth with her hand.

"Leon and I thought you were dead. We thought you were gone forever. Do you realize how badly that hurt Danny? To think that I could never hug you again, never hear your laugh, never-" her voice cracked. "Never be with you again? And then I find out that you're here and alive and... and all I want to do is be with you Danny. But I want to be with _you_ \- not this shell of you."

"I want to be with you too..." I whispered quietly. "I missed you a lot." Dani crawled over until she was practically sitting on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in the crook of my neck.

"But I don't know how to do what you're asking." I pulled away from my clone. "I don't know how to do this anymore. I have no idea how to act like a normal teenager because lets be honest, I'm _not_ a normal teenager! I don't know how to move on from her. I've tried. I know what I'm doing is bad but I can't help but do it. I just... don't know."

Dani sat back on her hands, swiping briefly at her eyes. "Then at least let us help Danny. You can't keep running away."

"Running away?"

"Yes! After the fight with Slade, after what just happened; you just keep running away!"

"So?"

"You have to let us help."

"But... I don't need it."

Dani sighed in annoyance. "Yes, Danny, you do. Did you run away when Liz was here?"

"I didn't run away! And I still don't! I just go take care of myself."

"Did we not just go over this?" Dani sounded slightly annoyed. "YOU AREN'T TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF DANIEL!"

"I'm trying to!" I argued. "And don't call me Daniel, _Danielle_."

"Like Hell you're trying!"

"Watch your mouth."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Then don't tell _me_ what to do!"

"I wouldn't have to tell you what to do," Dani shouted. "If you'd just do it by yourself!"

"Just because you guys think I'm messed up doesn't mean I am! Maybe I'm fine living like this! MAYBE I THINK I'M DOING FINE!"

"THEN WHY'D YOU JUST ADMIT YOU KNEW IT WAS BAD?" Dani and I were both on our feet now, glaring at each other.

"MAYBE TO GET YOU ALL TO SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU'RE ALL TREATING ME LIKE I'M SOME BROKEN TOY THAT YOU HAVE TO FIX! LIKE I'M YOUR NEWEST MISSION OR SOMETHING."

"YOU'RE ALWAYS OUR MISSION DANNY! IT IS OUR JOB TO TAKE CARE OF YOU BECAUSE LIKE IT OR NOT WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS!"

"Exactly." I said quietly. "You guys are my _friends_. Not my parents. Which means it isn't your job to treat me like a freaking toddler!"

"Of course it's our job!" Dani almost laughed. "We don't _have_ parents Danny! And if we don't take care of you when you start acting stupid, then who the hell will?"

"So you think I'm stupid now? Is that it? Danny's too stupid to do anything right?"

"I never said that!" Dani snapped. "But I might as well have. You _are_ acting stupid! My God Danny, even you know you are!"

"But it's _my_ problem, not yours! I am not your pet, I am not your child, I am not your responsibility!"

"I know you aren't! But my problem is that my friend is suffering and won't let anyone help. That _is_ my problem and that _is_ my responsibility! Whether you like it or not I'm not going to sit here and watch you do this."

"Oh my God, stop talking like that!" I punched the punching bag again. "Stop talking like my existence is such a burden to you!"

"Who said anything about it being a burden?"

"That's all you guys seem to talk about any more!" I yelled, taking my anger out on the punching bag. "All I ever hear is how you guys are working so hard for Danny, and so concerned for Danny, _are doing all this stuff for Danny!_ You're telling me to live? You guys have your own lives too, why don't you live them yourselves for a change?!"

"Because believe it or not _you're_ a part of our lives!" Dani stomped her foot on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. "Which means _you_ affect our decisions, _you_ are in our conversations, and _you_ are who we care about."

"I don't want that!" Tears stung the back of my eyes. "You the last person who did that for me was? Liz. I was her life and she was mine. And you know what happened? She _died._ She died Dani! She left me all alone!"

"Are you really that selfish?" Dani sneered. "Yeah, she died Danny. Do you really think she did it just to piss you off? To pay you back for beating her at Mario Kart that one time? You were her world and I can promise you it hurt her a hell of a lot more to be ripped away from you than it is for you to have seen her go. She knew you Danny, better than anyone. She _knew_ you'd do this."

Out of nowhere, Liz's voice rang in my head "You promised Danny. You promised you would live." Some of the last word she had ever spoken to me.

Dani wasn't through with her tirade yet. "She told you not to pull this crap, didn't she? Because she _knew_ that as soon as she was gone you would do this. And that's not what she wanted Danny! It's not what she wants. I can't believe you would disrespect her so much! How dare you say you love her when you-"

Her sentence was cut off as she screamed, jumping to the side. I'd hit the punching bag so hard, it flew off it's hook. It exploded in a flurry of grains and sand. Her mouth hung open, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"D- Danny..." She jumped up and grabbed my arms. "Stop it! God will you stop acting so damn crazy and calm down for a second?"

I froze, my blood running cold. "So that's it." My voice was quiet. I looked at the floor. I felt Dani's anger leave as she looked at me. "You guys think I'm crazy. That's why you're so concerned. You think I'm insane."

Dani looked taken aback. "What? I never said-"

"And why wouldn't you? I mean, look at what just happened. I _heard_ her talking to me. I exploded a punching bag. No sane person would do that."

"Danny! I never said you were crazy!" Dani protested.

"But you're thinking it! I know you are. How could you not be? Even _I_ think I'm going crazy!" I fell on the floor and buried my head in my hands.

"Oh Danny..." My clone sat next to me, her warm arms wrapping around me. "I don't think you're crazy Danny. I think you can _act_ crazy, but everyone does. It comes package with being awesome. You aren't insane."

I didn't say anything.

"Danny, will you look at me?" I didn't move my head. With a sigh she slowly cupped my chin in her hand and lifted it so I was forced to look at her. "Danny, please don't cry," She whispered. I hadn't even realized that I was. She ran her thumb across my cheek, wiping my tears away.

"I'm sorry I yelled aT you." She apologized. "I shouldn't have said some of the things I said. I'm just worried about you, ok? And it's not because I think you're weak, or crazy, or broken, or my responsibility. It's just because I happen to care for, and all the drama that comes with you. I know you're suffering, and no, maybe I'm not legally employed as a person who is supposed to help you, but as your friend and a member of your family I'm gonna be here anyways."

If I wasn't crying before, I definitely was now.

"And I'll never leave you if I can help it." She went on. "Just like Liz. She never wanted to leave you Danny. And in truth, she still hasn't. She's still with you in your heart, and in your memories. That can _never_ be taken away."

I hugged Dani hard. She gasped a little, but hugged me back, rubbing slow circles on my back. I'd cried since Liz died, obviously. But not like this. This wasn't bitter tears, this wasn't sadness, this wasn't happiness. It was relief.

"It's ok Danny." Dani whispered, hugging me closer. Somehow, she knew what I was feeling. She knew this wasn't the crying that you wanted someone to stop. This is what she wanted. These were tears that helped you move on.


	26. Hairy sacrafice- Raven

Chapter 26- Raven

Robin dragged me down the hallway to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. His nickname echoed in my head 'Rae'. It was a commonly uncommon name for me to be called. BB and Cyborg had called me Rae a few times, but it had stopped when I threatened to melt their video games down and sacrifice the remains to Satan. But Robin had never called me Rae. He's never called me... well, he'd never called me anything but 'Raven'.

"What the hell?" He spun to look at me, and for a second I thought he was mad at me.

"W-what?"

"What the hell was that?" He repeated. "Danny, the light- everything! Are you alright?"

"I- yeah, I'm fine. I mean, my head kinda hurts but-" Robin tossed me a bottle of painkillers.

"I'll get you some water." He turned and marched into his bathroom, returning with a small paper cup of water.

"Thanks." As I swallowed the pills Robin inspected my hands. "I'm fine Robin." I told him again. He nodded and collapsed in a chair, dragging a hand through his hair.

"You alright?" I asked him, sitting on his bed.

"Yeah," He said sarcastically. "Just peachy." I smirked a little- it was always a little funny when the boy scout acted like a normal teenager. Even his room was starting to look more normal- though that probably had more to do with Danny than with him.

I still didn't understand why Danny was so obsessed with sleeping in that stupid bean bag chair that was shoved in the corner of Robin's room. I'd sat on it before- it wasn't anything like a bed. It was comfy, sure, but not like a bed. Although since Danny was sleeping there on a regular basis it had now adorned a couple of pillows and blankets.

"He has his own section of the dresser and closet too." Robin said suddenly, as if he was reading my mind.

"Are you ok with that?"

Robin laughed. "Yeah, I am actually. I've never had a room mate or a brother or anything. Having him here is fun. Besides, I feel comfortable that I get to watch over him, ya know?"

"Creeper."

"Not like that!" Robin laughed. "You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, I do, calm down!" I looked at Robin's closed closet doors."What does he even wear? I mean you wear like, one thing all the time and that's it."

Robin scoffed. "Not true! I have tons of other stuff to wear!" To prove his point he jumped up and swung open his closet door. Half of his closet was his hero costume. The other half was legitimate teen boy clothes- baggy sweat shirts, long sleeves, T-shirts, everything.

"Why don't you ever wear it?" I asked. "It might be harder for Slade to track us down if there isn't a walking traffic light running around the city."

"Why is that joke such a thing with you people?" Robin huffed.

He sighed again and leaned back on his bed. A slight blush crept up my cheeks as his shirt rose a few inches, exposing a strip of his pale stomach.

"This entire situation is so stressful." Robin stated, covering his eyes with his forearm.

"I know." I felt awkward just standing there, but I didn't want to sit on the bed with him either, so I settled for sitting on Danny's bed/bean bag chair.

"So what was actually going on with Danny's mind? Robin questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you said nothing was wrong with him, and then a shooting star exploded from his brain. That doesn't seem like nothing to me."

I sighed. "I have no idea what it was. It wasn't mind control, that I know for sure. It was... it was like someone else was there and not there. Trying to reach him through his thoughts or something. And then that might popped up out of nowhere- and when I touched it it just..."

"It pushed you across the room." Robin finished for me. "And then exploded in a rain of glitter. What in Gods name is that about?"

"Careful boy scout," I joked. "Your pushing your verbal limits aren't you?"

"Shut up." Robin sat up and coughed.

"Are you alright?"

He shooed me away. "I'm fine, just swallowed wrong." I blinked. His voice was a little more hoarse than it normally was.

"Are you getting sick?" I asked suddenly. I'd never seen Robin get sick before.

Robin laughed meekly. "Naw, I'm fine. Like I said, I just swallowed wrong."

Never the less, I managed to press my hand to his forehead for a brief second before he pushed me off. It might have been my imagination, but he definitely felt a little warm.

"So do we know anyone with the ability to make light appear in peoples head?" Robin questioned, sitting in front of his computer.

"Dr. Light can't do anything like that, right?" I asked. Robin pulled up his file on the weirdo and cross checked his power list.

"If he can, no one knows about it." Robin ran a universal search for light powers and mind intrusion, but no one showed up.

"Could it be one of Danny's little ghost buddies?"

"Anything's possible," Robin lifted a shoulder. "But we don't have any files on them."

"Do the guys in white?"

"They know less about ghosts than we do. All they know is how to make people scream."

"Robin... don't tell me I'm crazy, ok?"

Robin looked at me. "Of course I won't!"

"The light thing? Well... I think that was the thing that was talking to Danny. And.. well... It reminded me of someone."

It clicked with Robin- I saw it on his face. "No, Raven, that's not possible."

"Why isn't it? We don't know the first thing about ghosts and how they die. Why couldn't it be Liz?"

"Because if there was any chance of her survival, don't you think she would have told us? Wouldn't Danny have known?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not! What if they didn't know themselves? We don't know how much they know about their own powers. Maybe ghost deaths are different for half ghosts? Maybe that light _was_ her!"

Robin looked at me, hard and long. "I wish there was a way for her to be alive. I really really do. But this? I just... I just can't explain this."

"Neither can I."

"For Danny's sake, I don't think we should mention what you and I just talked about, ok? He's having a hard enough time trying to get over her, I don't think he could handle trying to figure out if she was somehow still out there."

I nodded in agreement. "You're right."

"Speaking of talking to Danny," Robin stood up and stretched, his shirt once again rising to expose the skin of his abdomen. "Me and the guys are gonna go talk to him. Men-on-men, ya know?"

I wrinkled my nose. " _Why_?"

"Cause all your emotional girl stuff doesn't seem to be helping him."

"So a room full of body odor and testosterone will?"

Robin laughed. "Well, that's the plan at least!" He rolled his shoulders and looked down at me. "Any chance you could host a girls night so all your perfume and estrogen stays out of our guys night?"

"A.) I _don't_ wear perfume and B. I _don't_ host girls nights."

"C'mon!" Robin whined. "You'll be fine! Pop in a chick flick or something, do each others nails, do whatever girls do!"

"Have you _ever_ seen my nails painted?"

Robin just rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you can figure something out, Rae. Please?"

There it was again; 'Rae'. I gave Robin a weird look. Was he brainwashed again? Was this thing a robot? Was Robin trying to single that something was wrong?

"What?" He asked, noticing me staring. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing." No, he wasn't a robot. I'd made a point to get a strong hold on all of my teams minds and thought signatures. This was Robin- not a computer. Not something fake. So what was with the name?

We walked out to the kitchen and found everyone there but Danny and his clone.

"These cookies really are good!" Leon was stating.

"I bet I can eat more!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

I glanced at Robin as the clone and the shape shifter started shoving cookies in their mouths competitively. He just laughed and rolled his eyes. Starfire was watching another Christmas movie.

"Dani is talking to Danny." Cyborg explained. "She texted me a minute ago- she and Danny will be here in a second."

No sooner had the words left his mouth then the door opened and the two walked in. Danny kept his eyes on the floor; they were red and slightly bloodshot- he'd obviously been crying.

"Leon," He said. "Enough sugar."

Leon let out a pitiful whine until Danny walked over and pulled him away from the cookies. "I said that's enough."

Leon swallowed the cookie and pouted. "No fair! I was totally winning too!"

"Whatever!" BB scoffed. "I had this in the bag!"

Danny just glared at them both and grabbed himself a glass of water. Dani-with-an-i leaned back on the couch, sharing a look with Cyborg.

"I think he's doing a little better now," she told him quietly. "But then again, he broke a punching bag, so I could be way off."

Beast boy's jaw hit the floor. "He _broke_ a punching bag? WHAT?"

"Yeah. It exploded. Might wanna clean that up by the way."

Again, I looked at Robin. "You think guy talk will fix a broken punching bag?"

Robin just shrugged. He walked over and whispered his plan to Cy and BB. Dani watched them walk out of the room with furrowed brows.

"Where are they going?"

"Apparently they think they can do a better job of talking to Danny than we can." Dani scoffed. "I know, but hey, we haven't tried yet so why not?"

Robin walked over to Danny. "Can we talk to you?" He asked. Danny looked like he wanted to argue, but saw Beast boy and Cyborg waiting by the door and gave in.

"Sure, why not." He grabbed an Attack On Titan cookie as he walked out.

Dani looked at the closed door with a blank expression. "Sooooo... They're just leaving us here?"

I nodded. "Robin told us to do our nails or something."

Starfire looked away from her movie with delight. "Are we once again partaking in the nights of girls?"

"I guess."

Dani snorted. "Yeah, I ain't doing my nails. Hair, sure, that's fine. Nails? No way. Not happening. Sorry." I gained a little more respect for her.

Starfire squealed and hugged Dani tightly, running off to get her various hair tools.

"Fair warning, she did Liz's hair last time." Dani looked at me.

"So?"

"Liz ended up with a bee hive hair style."

Dani's eyes widened and she wrapped her arms protectively over her black strands. "Raven," She said. "I love you, but I am sacrificing you to her mercy. Forgive me."

"No way! You're all hers!"

"Help a sister out! She couldn't do much with yours- it's too short!"

"Sucks to be you- I'm staying safe!"

Dani continued to beg me to help save her hair until Starfire came flying back into the room, arms full of head bands, pony tails, hair brushes and combs, curling irons, blow dryers, hair crimpers, and hair straighteners.

To me and Dani, they all looked like weapons of mass destruction.

"Friend Dani," Starfire began. "May I have the honor of doing your hair?"

I almost laughed. Fearfully, Dani stuttered out a 'sure', sending me pleading glances. I just leaned back in my chair, trying to hide my relieved smirk.

Dani insisted on doing my hair, and for a while I feared she would reap revenge, but then again, she didn't seem like the revenge type. Maybe. Hopefully. That left me with Starfire's pick locks again. Thankfully Starfire was satisfied with her hair being brushed and put in a simple look, because Lord knows I don't know how to do anything else.

"What movie do you wanna watch?" Dani asked, grabbing the remote and surfing channels. "There are a ton of Christmas movies on."

"I don't care." Dani glared at me. "What! I don't. They're so stupid, just put anything on."

"I thought Danny was the only one who could possibly hate Christmas," Dani roller her eyes. "But apparently there are two scrooges here."

"I don't hate Christmas!" I protested. "I hate Christmas movies. There's a difference."

It was Starfire who picked the movie in the end- the Santa Clause with Tim Allen. Which, even I will admit, isn't that bad.

I was lazy with Starfire's hair, I'll admit. I just wasn't interested. I brushed it out for her and gave her the sparkliest headband I could find and then called it quits.

My mind was on Danny. The boys were in the game room and I could faintly hear laughter coming from down the hall. They were supposed to be having a serious conversation, not throwing a party.

Dani hadn't said anything about the conversation she'd had with him either. All I knew was that it had made Danny cry. And that wasn't ok. I mean, yeah that was really hypocritical because I'd made Danny cry before, but for whatever reason it just pissed me off. I didn't want Danny to cry.

"Your look is completed!" Starfire announced with a smile. I glanced up at Dani and nearly did a spit take. God bless the fact that I hadn't been shoved into the cruel hands of Starfire.

Dani's hair was separated into about 7 different pony tails. Each one had had something different done to it- curled, crimped, braided; one even had a ton of beads strung into it.

"Do you like it?" Starfire asked eagerly. Dani looked at her reflection in her phone, mouth open and eyes wide.

"I- I've never seen anything like it." She admitted, giving Starfire a weak smile.

"I am overjoyed that you like it!" Starfire hugged Dani hard enough that the Clones back popped.

I didn't even bother seeing what my hair looked like- it didn't matter. And honestly, it made me think of the girls day me Star and Liz had had. I didn't exactly want to think of those things. So we just chilled on the couch all night, watching all three movies in the series. Slowly we fell asleep.

When I woke up in the morning, someone was cooking bacon that was making my empty stomach want to grow legs and leave, just so it could devour the food.

"Morning," Danny said eating the food he was making. I'd never been more surprised.


	27. A matter of time- Danny

Chapter 27 Danny

Guys time wasn't what I expected. I thought it would have been more yelling at me. Instead we all sat in a circle, everyone looked at me, and told me that if I didn't get my act together, they would all collectively beat me senseless. Then the topic turned to girls.

Because why not.

"How are you are Starfire doing?" Beast Boy teased Robin. The bird boy blushed and shoved the green teen.

"Shut up!"

BB hummed the wedding march. Robin punched him.

"What about you?" I poked BB in the ribs. "You still chasing Raven?"

"What!?"

"Dude, it's not like you were ever subtle."

Beast boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. She hates everyone." I noticed Robin flinch slightly. "I got my eyes on someone else."

Cyborg leaned in curiously. "Yeah? Who?"

"HIS NAME IS JOHN CENA!" Beast Boy's phone rang out, making everyone jump. The green teen fell on the floor laughing.

"Funny," Robin rolled his eyes. "What about you Cyborg?"

Cyborg blushed, and wouldn't meet my eye. "Oh well, ya know, I don't really have time for that kinda stuff! I mean, I'm so busy and there's like, so much to do and all and-"

"You like Dani, don't you?" Leon cut him off. Cyborg nearly chocked.

"W-what!?"

Leon laughed. "Hey, don't let me stop you! She's like my sister so don't worry about anything there. Besides, I think she likes you too."

"She does?" Cy said hopefully.

Beast Boy laughed. "Dude, you realize that liking Dani is about the same as liking Danny, right?"

I glared at him. "No, it's not." Then I turned to Cyborg. "Also, I am trying _very_ hard not to punch you right now. Behave yourself around her, got it?"

Leon laughed and jumped on my back playfully. "Settle down daddy Danny. Let them have their fun!"

"Don't call me that. And Cyborg, I'm serious. I will personally kill you if you hurt her."

Cyborg held his hands up in defense. "I never said I'd do anything-"

"You're pretty obvious about liking her." Robin cut him off. "I hear you talking about her to Raven all the time." The robot blushed. I glared at him.

"I want to hear about this about as much as I want to be stabbed in the eye." I confessed. Robin agreed to play me in Foosball while Leon and Beast boy tried to think of ways to hook Dani and Cyborg up (gross).

"So what was the point of this exactly?" I asked Robin as we played.

"What do you mean?" I almost felt proud as Robin full on swore when I scored against him.

"This whole guy talk? Pretty sure if it was just to hook my clone up with a robot, I wouldn't have been invited."

"We wanted to try and get through to you." Robin glanced up at me. "Did it work?"

"We had circle time. If you were trying to disgust me, then yes, yes it got through."

Robin laughed. "Not what we were going for. We're still worried about you. It didn't seem like what the girls were saying was working."

"What counts as working? You can't tell me that I'm not doing better than I was."

Robin nodded. For a while, he didn't say anything. It was fun, just playing the game in silence. Robin was pretty good at it.

"Hey," I said quietly. "I'm not getting annoying am I?"

"What?"

"Living in your room and stuff. Like, I don't want to outstay my welcome or anything. If you want me to like, get my own clothes and stuff and get out of there then-"

"Bro," Robin let go of his handles and held up a hand. "You aren't annoying. I kinda like having you in there."

"Awe Robin, I love you too."

"Shut up!" He laughed. We both slouched down in bean bag chairs. "But seriously though, you aren't bugging me at all. What's bugging me is that you don't let me help more. What else can I do to help you?"

"I dunno." I shrugged helplessly. "I literally do not know."

Robin smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ok. But let me know if you figure it out, ok?"

"ROBIN!" Beast boy shouted in mock horror. "WHAT IS THIS? ARE YOU CHEATING ON ME WITH DANNY?"

Robin laughed and pulled me closer. "Yes Beast boy, that's totally what's going on here."

I hugged Robin, playing along. "Lucky you guys are here, you're just in time to witness our engagement."

The others laughed and watched in amusement as Robin pretended to purpose to me with the Foosball ball. BB pretended to cry.

"First Cyborg leaves me, and now you? I AM FOREVER ALONE!"

Leon ruffled his hair. "You still got me! THE BROMANCE IS STRONG!"

The rest of our night was filled with stupid jokes like that. Honestly, I enjoyed it. It was fun to just goof off with the guys without having Dani or Raven staring at me, judging me, making sure I was acting 'normal'. Who knows, maybe they would have thought this was 'normal'.

Slowly, everyone began to fall asleep. Beast boy and Leon were on the couch, watching an action movie. Cyborg literally passed out while trying to beat Robin's high score on a video game, and at the risk of more marriage jokes, Robin and I just hung out until we fell asleep.

I woke up first and was surprisingly hungry. One of the nice things about my new hair cut was that it didn't get as messy as my long hair did. All I had to do was run my fingers through it a few times before it was considered acceptable.

The girls were asleep in the living room, hair products surrounding the couch. One look at Dani, and I knew someone would need an hour long shower to fix her hair. I laughed to myself and made my way into the kitchen. The room was cold, so before anything else, I made hot chocolate. Reluctantly, I started the coffee maker too because, no matter how disgusting I thought the stuff was, I knew Robin and BB and Cyborg loved it. Leon did too, but hell if he got any- he's too young for that stuff.

I was frying bacon when Raven woke up.

"Morning," I greeted her, biting into the bacon I'd already finished. She looked at me in shock, her eyes wide and mouth parted slightly.

"A- are you cooking?"

"Why yes Raven, I did have a good night, thank you for asking. And you?"

She shook her head. "Uh, sorry. Morning." She walked over. "Are you _eating_ what you're _cooking_?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am." She was eying the food hungrily. I held out a piece of bacon to her.

"It is edible you know. Go ahead."

Raven blinked and muttered a thank you before helping herself to eggs and bacon. "Thanks..." She muttered. She seemed too shocked to do or say anything else.

"So..." She drawled awkwardly after a few minutes of tense silent eating. "What went down during guys night?"

I shrugged. "What happened at guys night, stays at guys night."

"It was a conversation Danny, not fight club." I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Raven looked at me with a softness in her eyes that I had never seen.

"What's that look for?"

"Nothing." Raven shook her head and smiled down at her food. "I-it was just your laugh."

"What about it?"

"It sounded real."

My eyebrows drew together in confusion. What did that mean? I didn't ever try and fake laugh. What made this laugh different? More importantly, why did it make Raven so _happy_?

A green dog ran into the room, jumping over Raven and into my lap, licking rapidly at my face before jumping onto the kitchen counter and turning back into beast boy. "BOYFRIEND INCOMING!" He announced, turning into a fly and buzzing away.

Raven looked at me, her mouth parted. "Um, is there something you need to tell me Danny?"

"No, BB is just being weird." Robin sighed, walking into the room with Leon.

"No, I think he's right." I looked for the green fly. "Beast boy! Your boyfriend Leon is here!"

Robin laughed loud enough to wake up Dani and Starfire. "Whose boyfriend is here?" Dani yawned.

Out of no where BB pounced on me, knocking me out of my chair. "Shut up!" He demanded with a smile, trying to keep me pinned to the ground. "At least we aren't married yet!"

Starfire looked at Robin for help. "Was there a marriage ceremony that we were not invited to?" The poor alien only got more confused as Robin and Leon fell on the floor, laughing hard enough to bring tears to their eyes.

Raven just sat at the island, eating her breakfast indifferently, clearly unamused.

"Where's Cyborg?" Dani asked in annoyance. "He seems to be the only sane one around here."

"SEE DANNY!" BB pointed violently towards my clone, a triumphant grin on his face. "I _TOLD_ YOU IT WAS OBVIOUS!"

Dani glanced around self consciously. "What? What's obvious?" No one told her.

"His batteries died in the game room," I gasped out while wrestling Beast Boy. I would have had him beat ages ago, but the brat kept turning into a different animal to escape.

"He should be fine in an hour," Robin told her, standing up and trying to catch his breath. Leon was still in a fit of laughter on the floor. Robin came over and helped pry the green gorilla that was holding me hostage away.

"Anyways Raven," He turned to her with a goofy grin. "Don't worry about guys night. From what I can tell," he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I think it did it's job."

Dani looked at me and smiled. Everyone did. It only lasted a few seconds at most, but it felt like an eternity. Everyone turned to look at me and smiled. And they were actually happy. There was hope in their eyes, pride in their faces. They looked happy. And the weirdest thing... they were happy for me.

"Did you make breakfast?" Leon asked Raven. She shook her head.

"Danny did."

Starfire squealed and hugged me, crushing the air out of my lungs. "Oh, I am overjoyed at this change in your behavior!" She declared, spinning us both around.

"Can't... breathe!" I chocked out. Starfire dropped me on the floor with a sheepish smile and a quick apology before prancing off to help herself to food.

Raven helped me to my feet. "Sorry she forgets her own strength... some... sometimes..." Raven trailed off and stared at the window wall behind me with wide eyes. All conversation and laughter suddenly came to a halt as everyone's eyes made their way behind me.

Dani and Leon looked happy and confused while everyone else just looked freaked out.

"What?" I asked. "What's behind me?" If it was a Vlad bot, or a Guys in white thing, I was just gonna scream. Not do anything rational, I would legitimately just give up and throw a temper tantrum.

Suddenly, a bony hand fell on my shoulder. "Hello Daniel." I nearly jumped out of my skin and gave myself whiplash as I yelped and fell ungracefully to the floor. I flipped over to my back, preparing to fight the creep who touched me. However, when I saw his timeless face, all of my fear melted.

" _Clockwork_?"

The ghost nodded, his form changing to his midlife age. Before the ghost could say anything else, I was on my feet and hugging him. He seemed shocked that I was even touching him at first, but then he hugged me back.

Not gonna lie- I almost cried. It was Clockwork, one of the only truly nice people I had ever really truly encountered in my life. One who cared about me.

"Where the hell have you been?" I snapped, pushing away from him. He just rolled his eyes.

"I heard this all from Elizabeth you know."

"Y-you've talked to Liz? When? What!?"

"Not recently. Lord Daniel, I'm the ghost of time, not a God. I know as well as you about her predicament."

Dani narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me? 'Predicament'? Is that what you're gonna call it? She _died_ genius!"

"I know."

"You could have saved her!"

"No, I couldn't have."

Dani stomped up to the ghost, anger in her eyes. "Yeah, you could have! You are the ghost of time! As in, you know, _time_! You saved Danny's family from being killed- if you hadn't done that then Danny would be halfway to being a soulless killing machine by now!"

" _Thank you_ for that lovely reminder of what almost happened." I snapped, grabbing Dani's arm and gently leading her away from Clockwork. "But, uh, a few questions. First, how the hell do you know him? Second, Clockwork, why the hell are you even _here?"_

"Who is this?" Robin cut him off. "Sorry, still trying to keep up with the whole ghost existing thing."

Leon flicked his bangs out of his face. "Titans, this is Clockwork, the ghost that literally protects every possible time line in existence. Clockwork, Titans. I'd say more, but you know everything about them and their grandchildren, so there really isn't a point."

Beast boy looked at Clockwork as he turned into a kid. "Dude! Like, what! How-?"

"Ghost of time." Dani reminded him. "Need I say more?"

Clockwork ignored everyone and turned to me. "I know you have questions Daniel, but I came here for a reason."

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "I don't want to hear anything until you answer my questions."

The ghost sighed. I prepared for his logically reasoning on why he didn't have any time for my childishness and why he was on a tight schedule and all that, but it never came. Instead, he did something even more surprising. He agreed with me.

"Fine. Ask away."

Before I could filter my thoughts, they all came pouring out. "Where the hell have you been? Did you just happen to forget that Liz and I were alive? Did you know we were _dying_? Did you ever hear me when I would shout and scream for you and you specifically, _begging_ you to come help us? How do you know Dani and Leon? Why are you here? What do you mean you talked to Liz? She never mentioned you! What is going on? After all this time, why would you suddenly come and find me _now?_ "

Raven walked over and put a hand on my shoulder, whispering in my ear to calm down and take a deep breath. I caught sight of my reflection in the window and saw my eyes glowing green.

Clockwork looked at me sadly. "I've been in the ghost zone, Daniel, as I normally am. Of course I knew that you and Elizabeth were alive, and of course I knew where you were and what was happening."

"And you never came?"

"I couldn't interfere."

I nodded and looked at the floor. I'd been expecting as much. "Ok."

"I met Danielle and Leon in the ghost zone. I helped train them for a while."

Leon nodded and sat on the couch next to me. "He was the one who suggested we go say hi to you guys. And then well... then we learned what happened."

"You set us up." Dani accused the time ghost. "You knew exactly what was going on! Isn't that against your rules?"

"It was planned." Clockwork said passively. "Now Daniel, I'm here because I talked to Liz a while ago, and new... issues... have arisen."

"What kind of issues?" Robin wanted to know.

"Ghostly issues."

BB rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever. But dude, when did you talk to Liz? Like, we've never seen you here. And if Danny didn't know about you then-"

Clockwork looked at me, long and hard. "She really didn't tell you?"

I shook my head. "Tell me what? Clockwork, what did you talk to her about?"

Clockwork shook his head, a dry laugh passing from his lips. "She didn't tell you. Of course she didn't. Elizabeth... that child." He looked at me helplessly. "I'm sorry Daniel, but she didn't tell you. I can't either."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Leon insisted.

"Language." I poked him and he glared at me.

Clockwork stood up. "This is interesting, very interesting. I was under the impression you knew. But Elizabeth is a smart girl- she knew what she was doing. If she didn't tell you, then there has to be a reason... But why?" He looked out the window. "Why wouldn't she tell _you_?"

"Clockwork, what is going on!? Why are you here? You're acting so weird!"

"The ghost zone is falling apart." Clockwork said bluntly. "It's been slowly going insane for 8 months."

Raven raised and eyebrow. "That's how long Liz has been dead."

Clockwork nodded. "Exactly. It was Daniel's birthday that things began to go insane."

Robin held his hands up in a time out sign. "Hold up! What do you mean, 'going insane'?"

"The zone is angry." Clockworks form shifted again. "Not just the ghosts, but the zone itself. Nothing like this has happened in... in decades. And even then, the last time it was this strong was when Pariah Dark ruled over the land."

"He isn't back, is he?" Dani's eyes widened. Clockwork shook his head.

"No. It's something... new. It's a familiar trace of a ghost, but it's not. I have never, in all my time, seen anything like it."

"That's not creepy." BB muttered.

"You think it has something to do with Liz dying?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Perhaps. It does seem a bit coincidental that the very day of her death is the day the ghost zone begins to be over come by anger and power."

"And Liz was supposed to tell Danny something that could help explain this, right?" Robin clarified. Clockwork nodded. "So why can't you just tell us?"

"Because. If she didn't, then he is not yet meant to know."

Starfire cocked her head to the side. "Could it be part of why friend Danny has heard friend Liz's voice within his head?"

Clockwork froze. "What?" He turned to me with a look I had never seen on his face. He looked horrified. "Daniel, what is she talking about?"

"I- I thought I heard Liz the other day..." I said quietly, slowly inching away from Clockwork; his face was scaring me.

"What else?"

"I- I.. umm..." I couldn't talk straight.

"What else has been happening to him?" The time ghost demanded, spinning to glare at the titans. "What else!?"

"He's had nightmares..." Robin admitted. "There was this weird fire and he thought he saw her. We have this guy coming after us who talks about Liz..." He trailed off. "Why is this important?"

"These are all signs of possession or haunting." Clockwork stated.

Leon looked taken aback. "That happens when ghosts die though, isn't it? Does that mean Liz is alive? Possessing Danny?"

"No." Clockwork said harshly. "That's impossible."

"Why?"

"Because Elizabeth is gone." Clockwork stated. He didn't look sure of himself. "She... she has to be."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean she has to be?"

Clockwork glared at her. "Danny's the reason the ghost zone is falling apart." He looked at me. "And that means we have to fix it."

I shrugged. "Ok, sure. How?"

"The easiest option? Is to kill you."


	28. All about power- Raven

Chapter 28 Raven

"Kill me!?" Danny squeaked. "What? No!"

Robin placed a protective hand on Danny's arm. "We aren't killing Danny. Period."

Clockwork glared at everyone. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Before anyone could move, the time ghost had pressed a button on his staff, and a blade popped out of one side.

"Clockwork!" Dani screamed. "Put that down!"

"I really am sorry Daniel," Clockwork said, moving towards the fear paralized boy. "But I have to think about the big picture here." I couldn't even scream before the blade was in Danny's gut.

The ghost boy let out a heart wrenching sound, blood spewing from his lips. He fell over on the floor, hands grabbing at the staff, eyes wide.

"Clockwork," he whispered in betrayal. "W-why?" He coughed, chocking on his own blood.

"Daniel, this is bigger than you or I." Clockwork looked legitimately heartbroken over what he had done. "But there is an entire dimension of beings suffering. I have to think of them."

Dani and Leon pushed past the time ghost, falling next to the older ghost.

"You're gonna be fine Danny!" Leon insisted. "I'm not gonna lose you too, ok? I won't!"

Robin was on the floor with them too, holding Danny's head in his lap. "Danny, hey, I need you to keep your eyes open for me, ok? Hey, eyes on me!"

"It hurts," Danny cried, tears running from his eyes.

"I know, I know it does." Robin nodded. "But you'll be alright. We're gonna take care of you, ok?"

Starfire and BB were frozen where they were. Danny was dying- I could feel it. He was losing too much blood, too many organs had been damaged, he wasn't healthy enough to pull through.

"Fix him!" Dani screamed, tear tracks running down her face. She looked at Clockwork with fury. "Fix him, NOW!"

Clockwork just looked at the dying boy, sadness on his face.

Danny was struggling to breath. Dani and Leon were trying to stop the flow of blood, to no avail. Robin was bent over Danny, muttering false words of comfort to him.

"You're gonna be fine, it's ok, just breath. Danny, keep your eyes on me, ok? Hey, hey! Look at me, please! Don't go to sleep!"

" 'm tired..." Danny muttered, his voice starting to slur.

I fell to the floor next to him.

"It won't stop!" Leon sobbed, pressing his hands around the hole in Danny's abdomin. "I can't get the bleeding to stop!"

"Raven," Danny croaked out. I turned to look at him. His eyes were streaming with tears and unfocused, yet somehow I knew he saw me.

"Thank you..." he whispered.

"W-what?" my voice cracked.

"You tried so hard to help me." He said, voice growing fainter. "You, and everyone else. But especially you. I never got to really thank you."

"Stop! STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" I held back my tears. "Dammit Danny! You're gonna pull through this!"

Danny shook his head. "No... no."

"I can't lose you!" Leon wailed, his blood covered hands grasping Danny's face. "Danny, please! Don't do this! Not Liz and you! I can't! Dammit I just can't!"

"Language..." Danny all but whispered.

"You can't do this." His clone begged. "Danny, we need you! We need you so much! Don't do this... don't..."

His heart was slowly coming to a stop. Everyone could feel it. Robin was holding Danny's hand.

"Stay awake..." He begged. "C'mon bro, you gotta stay awake."

"You were a good wife." Danny joked with Robin."

Robin scoffed. "Please, you were totally the wife. Now stay awake so we can raise our children together, or whatever it is that married people do. Just keep your eyes open, ok? Don't die on me!"

"I missed having a best friend..." Danny said, coughing again as more blood traveled up his throat. "Thanks, bird brain."

"You can't die after saying something like that!" Robin insisted. "You're gonna be fine. We'll get you through this. I promise."

BB called for an ambulance. But we already knew the truth. Danny wasn't gonna pull through.

"Raven..." he whispered. I leaned towards him. "Take care of Dani and Leon, ok?"

"W-what? I-"

"Promise me? You and Robin- there's no one I'd trust them with more." I glanced up at Robin, who just nodded.

"Sure Danny. I'll take care of them. I promise."

Danny smiled, looking at the celing. Sirens wailed- the medics were close.

"Help is almost here!" Dani told her clone. "Just a few more minutes Danny! Just hold on!"

"I love you Dani." Danny used the hand that wasn't in Robin's death grip to reach for the younger ghosts. "I love you too, Leon."

"Don't die!" Leon begged, snatching Danny's hand and holding it to his face. "Please! Danny!"

"Liz is proud of you." Danny whispered, his face going slack. Leon looked at him

"W-what?"

Danny weakly pointed at the empty space between where I was sitting and where Dani was. "Liz knows you can stay strong. She- she's crying."

"You can see her?" I questioned.

Danny nodded, a small smile on his lips. "She's here. I- I can see her. I can see everyone I love. I can see... I can see everyone..."

Those where the last words Danny Fenton ever spoke. The last breath left his body, his eyes falling shut for the final time. Leon let out a heart breaking sob, burying his face in Danny's bloody chest. Dani sat there, staring at his slack face, as if he would suddenly sit up and smile, saying it was all a joke.

The paramedics were in the room not 10 seconds later, but there was nothing they could do. Danny was gone. I turned to look at Clockwork, so see if he was happy. All I saw was a single tear roll down his face before the ghost disappeared.

Danny was gone. Danny Fenton was dead.

**HAHAHAHAH JK JK JK JK THIS ISN'T THE CHAPTER DANNY ISN'T DEAD NON OF THE ABOVE WAS TRUE SO BEFORE YOU MURDER ME LET ME EXPLAIN! I wanted Amanda to listen to a song, and she said she wouldn't, and I told her that if she didn't I'd kill Danny. She eventually DID listen to the song (The song was 'this is gospel' by panic! at the disco btw) BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT because it took half an hour to convince her, I decided to do this anyway. I'M SORRY! BLAME AMANDA! HAHAHAHAH OK ANYWAYS THE REAL CHAPTER IS BELOW #SORRYNOTSORRY**

 

Chapter 28 Raven

Dani and Leon jumped in front of Danny as soon as the words had left the time ghosts mouth.

"Yeah, no." Dani snarled at Clockwork. "You better have a plan B."

Clockwork rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't actually kill Daniel, I've kept him alive this long, why would I kill him now?"

Robin just looked lost. "Wait- how is this Danny's fault? You totally changed the subject! Why does Liz _have_ to be gone?"

Clockwork grabbed Robin by the neck and held him half a foot off the ground. "These are matters that are beyond your understanding." He said darkly as Robin gasped for breath.

"Let go of him!" Starfire insisted, her eyes glowing green.

"Clockwork!" Danny jumped up and ran over to the two. "Drop him! _Now."_ Robin fell on the floor, gasping and coughing, a hand rubbing his neck.

"We shouldn't involve them." Clockwork gestured to my team. "They don't know anything helpful."

"Hey!" BB protested. "I know a lot of stuff!"

"You don't know anything about Danny." Clockwork clarified. "You know nothing of what he's done in the past, or what he could have done in the future."

Leon looked slightly scared. "Is this about the future? The dark duo? Is that what this is?"

"Dark duo?" I glanced at Danny for an explanation. He just looked freaked out.

"No... well, maybe." Clockwork folded his arms over his chest. "The 'dark duo', as you call them... they're just as scared as we are. Actually, even more so. It's... it's like they've seen this before."

"Dan and Angel are _scared_?" Danny repeated. "They aren't just messing with you?"

"Legitimate terror." Clockwork confirmed.

"Please," Starfire interrupted. "Who is this 'dark duo' you speak of?"

"They're Danny and Liz from the future." Dani-with-an-i explained. "In one time line, certain stuff happened and Danny and Liz went all evil. It's pretty terrifying. They were defeated, but now they don't live anywhere in time because that time line doesn't exist anymore. Future Danny goes by 'Dan' and future Liz goes by 'Fallen Angel', or just 'Angel'."

"You have an evil future self?" I turned to Danny.

"Yeah." Danny said. "He's 24- or I guess he'd be 27 now- and I really hate him."

"Clones, future selves, dude! What _hasn't_ happened to you!?" BB exclaimed. Danny just shrugged indifferently.

"Angel seems... Especially terrified..." Clockwork relieved. "But not for herself. For Dan."

Leon bit his lip. "Why? No one else even knows they're still alive. Do they?"

Clockwork shook his head. "No. But the two are convinced someone is after them. As soon as the zone began to emit anger, they started to become increasingly agitated. Obviously, they won't say why. But they do blame you."

Robin placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Calm down." He whispered in the ghosts ear. Danny's breath was shallow, his eyes glowing green.

"Killing me would be easiest, right?" Danny snapped, shrugging off Robin's hand.

"Yes, but-"

"Do you know how many people want that?" Danny went on, fists clenched at his sides. "You realize that _so_ many people have wanted that for _so_ long? That _I_ wanted it for so long?" Clockwork's mouth parted slightly, but he didn't say anything. "That I was just waiting for the Guys In White to shoot me, for the Titans to kick me out, for _anything_ to happen so I wouldn't have to deal with life anymore?"

"Daniel-"

"SHUT UP! You should have come months ago. Hell, if you had said that a week ago, I would have been all for it. But then, you knew that, didn't you? That's why you haven't come, telling me the ghost zone has gone to hell. Because you knew I wouldn't have a problem dying to fix it. That's why you just came now, right?"

Clockwork just floated there. "I have no desire to kill you, Daniel."

"The first time you met me, you tried to cut me in half."

Beast boy scoffed, then played it off as a cough when he got glares from everyone in the room.

"I can't let you die." The time ghost said. "And it has nothing to do with your future, with destiny, with time at all."

Danny looked taken a back. "What?"

"I made a promise." Clockwork said. "As did a lot of people. I promised a lot of people I would protect you. But there was only one person who truly made me swear to keep you alive, for as long as I could."

"Liz." Danny's voice was quiet. "She made you promise to keep an eye on me?" The time ghost nodded.

"Me too." BB admitted.

"Me as well." Starfire raised her hand.

"I would have, even if I didn't promise her." said Robin.

Danny looked at me, and I nodded. "I... I promised her too. She made a big deal out of it. But yeah, me too."

"She's still looking out for you." Leon said. Danny just looked at Clockwork.

"So, is that why you sent Dani and Leon looking for me? Because you knew they would find me at the right time?"

"Yes."

Danny just shook his head. "You people are insane. Doing all this stuff for Liz and I... Thank you..." Leon rushed forward and hugged him.

"So," Dani-with-an-i placed her hands on her hips. "Since killing our dear ghost boy here is out, how do we calm the ghost zone?"

Clockwork nearly growled. "Not sure. I was counting on Daniel possessing the knowledge Elizabeth had, but clearly he doesn't, which begs the questions, why? Why would she keep anything from Daniel? There was no one else in the world she trusted more!"

"Did she mention anything to anyone?" Leon questioned, looking at the titans with hopeful eyes.

"Her last days were spent with friend Danny," said Starfire. "She only spoke to me when requesting I do my best to take care of friend Danny after her departure."

"Did she hint at _anything_?" Clockwork asked desperately. Danny shook his head helplessly.

"No! We just... We watched TV, we rescued the titans, we talked about what we'd seen... she never mentioned you, or the ghost zone." Suddenly, Danny quirked his head to the side. "Clockwork, how don't you know that I don't know? You're supposed to know everything about every time line- shouldn't you have known Liz didn't tell me anything?"

His clone nodded in agreement. "He's right! How come you don't know Liz didn't tell him?" She looked at the long staff in Clockwork's hand. "Clockwork, why isn't your clock working?"

The three ghosts looked terrified as Clockworks shoulders slumped in defeat. The ghost turned into an old man, and he motioned for us to sit.

"I'm losing my power." He said once everyone was seated. Before anyone could say anything, he held up a hand. "Allow me to explain- no, it's not because I'm dying. It's because the ghost zone is in such a strange state. Many ghosts are losing their power- many have lost it completely. But they haven't died."

"Are they sick?" asked Dani-with-an-i.

"No. It's simply... vanishing. And I have an idea why. I cannot see the future."

"So the world ends?" Beast boy gasped.

"No. I have never been able to see far in this time line." said Clockwork. "I have ever been able to see far past Elizabeth's death. Yet when she died, I was suddenly able to see more than I ever have. 8 months more. I have been around since time itself, and I have _never_ been able to see past her death, up until it happened. And then suddenly, every ghost began to experience a loss in power. Even the most powerful ones are beginning to feel it. And then there's me. I can see into the past. I can see every other time line. But this time line, the one we all live in, the main time line, is hidden from me. Past, present, future. All of it. I can't see any of it, I can't control any of it, nothing."

"That's impossible." Danny breathed. "That can't be right."

Clockwork looked hopeless. "I'm not sure what is going on. But not even the observers can answer it. Even their powers are limited. They told me to come here today. They were under the impression Elizabeth had told you the information I had told her."

"So what do we do?" I asked. "What's going to happen to the ghost zone? Whats gonna happen to the ghosts?"

"The zone is becoming a prison. Without power, the ghosts can't leave, but it's almost dangerous to stay. Ghosts are hurting each other. More than usual."

"Why haven't these guys had any power loss?" Robin asked, gesturing to Danny and the clones.

"Probably because they haven't been in the zone." The time ghost guessed. "It's the zone that seems to be doing this."

"Is there a ghost that, like, rules over the zone or something?" Beast boy leaned on the back on the couch. "Maybe he like, is tick off or something at Danny?"

"The zone is it's own power. It's not a being of intelligence. It feeds off it's inhabitants; off their power. You'd think it'd be getting weak, not like this."

Robin frowned, making his signature thinking face. One hand was under his chin, the other wrapped around his chest. His eyes were cast downwards as he bit his lip, eyebrows drawn together creating those cute little wrinkles in his forehead.

"You said this has happened before, did you?" Robin said, almost too quietly to hear. Clockwork looked up at him surprised.

"I- well, yes. Why?"

"Tell us about when it happened." Robin demanded.

"It takes a very powerful ghost to bond with the power of the zone." Clockwork started. "But it has happened 4 times by 3 ghosts. Pariah Dark, Daniel's future self, and Robert O'Connor."

Danny's head jerked up. " _Dan_ did it once?"

Clockwork nodded. "Pariah has done it twice, Dan once, and then Robert once. Pariah is one of the oldest ghosts in existence, older than even I. No one knows how old he really is- if he even has an age. He may be as old as the ghost zone itself, for all we know. He has no issue connecting with the zones power. When he re-awoke, he merged his power once again with that of the zones, but the connection is broken when he is locked away."

"And we know he is locked away, right?" Danny asked, fear in his voice.

"Yes. You and Liz did quiet nicely on banishing him. Dan did it when he first lost his humanity," everyone shot Danny a glance, but he ignored them. "With Angel's help. It nearly killed them both. But once Dan had control, he did a fine job of assuming control over the ghost zone. The zone rejected him eventually, but by then he had already done his job and moved on to the human world. Then, there's Robert. He... I'm not sure how he did it. But somehow, when he kidnapped Elizabeth, he had also merged his power with that of the zone."

"He shouldn't be powerful enough to do that!" Leon protested.

"Not alone." Dani said. "Think about it. Liz was there when Dan did it, and when Robert took over the zone. She's a key part of taking power- unless you're Pariah freakin' Dark."

"Daniel and Elizabeth are the most powerful ghosts to have ever come into existence..." Clockwork mused. Danny gave him a strange look.

"Half ghost." he corrected.

"Makes you all the more powerful."

"This happened when Liz died, right?" I clarified. Everyone nodded. "So, any chance Liz's soul or something murged with the ghost zone and is just pissed cause Danny hasn't been taking care of himself?"

"No." Clockwork said. "It isn't. Half ghost deaths don't work like that. And on top of that, Elizabeth doesn't have a soul that would have done anything like that. Now, having her power _taken_ , that is a possibility."

"Dude," BB piped up. "Didn't Slade say he arranged for Liz to be killed?"

"Slade?"

"He's this dude that we've been fighting for like, ever." BB explained. "And he like, has been mega obsessed with Danny and Liz since he met them. And then when Liz died he told Danny that it was his fault and that he had arranged for Liz to be killed and all sorts of messed up stuff."

"He just figured he was bluffing." Danny said. "He isn't a ghost, is he?"

Clockwork shook his head. "If he were, the observers would have known. They wouldn't have let a ghost kill Elizabeth. Not with so many issues that could have happened. But it is strange that he would say something like that." The time ghost stood. "Daniel, teach you friends all you can about Pariah Dark and the dark duo, I must return to the ghost zone and re-examine some thoughts. This has been very informative."

As the ghost turned to leave, Danny jumped up. "Wait! You don't have to go! Stay here!"

Clockwork turned to the kid with a small. In his middle aged form, he moved forward to hug Danny. "It will be alright Daniel," he reassured him. "We will figure this out. In the meantime, spend time with your friends. I'll return when I can. And Daniel," Danny's blue eyes met Clockwork's red ones. "I'm very proud of the man you've grown up to be." And with that, the ghost vanished.

"Was that a ghost?" Cyborg asked, walking into the room with a yawn. "Y'all, I've been asleep for like, a couple of hours. What did you get yourselves into?" Dani sat next to him to explain the situation as Robin discussed Pariah Dark and Dan with Danny in hushed tones.

"I haven't talked about either of them in a long time..." Danny admitted, voice shaking. "Both of the fights nearly killed me. I- I really don't-"

"You don't have to tell us." I said. "If you don't fight me, I can pull everyone inside your head, and we can just watch it."

"Really?"

"Yes, but if you fight me, it's gonna hurt."

Danny nodded. "If I don't have to talk about it, then I'll do my best not to fight you. I promise."

Minutes later, everyone was seated in a circle, with Danny looking uncomfortable in the middle.

"No one move, talk, or do anything during this." I instructed. "All we're doing is watching Danny's memories of fighting these people, so we can get a better grasp of the kind of power that we're dealing with. It'll be like watching a movie. Got it?" Everyone nodded. And with that, we entered Danny's mind.

He did his best not to fight me, but there was still resistance. But suddenly, we were all on the roof of a building, four teenagers a little ways a way from us.

_"_ _Danny please!" A black haired both begged._

_"Guys, it wasn't always gonna be as easy as shoving the box ghost into the Fenton Thermos." 14 year old Danny told her. For whatever reason, he was in what looked like an 8 foot tall buzz Lightyear suit. "I'll be back."_

_"You're mom used the word 'fatal'" an african america boy pointed sadly, dropping his gaze._

_"Tucker, I'll be back!" Danny argued._

_"I'm coming with you!" 14 year old Liz demanded._

_"No. You and Valarie already got hurt because of me. You need to stay here, Liz. Watch out for Sam and Tucker. Ok?"_

_Liz did look slightly beat up, but not enough to keep her out of a fight. I'd seen her in much worse condition. But she nodded and stepped away from Danny. They conversed a little more before Danny finally took off in his Buzz suit, and taking the titans with him._

_Before I could blink we were in what I guessed was the ghost zone- a green swirling tunnel with purple doors and islands everywhere. Danny was floating above an island, looking at the millions of skeleton warriors before him. His memory relayed the utter fear he felt, as well as the loneliness. But he was also determined, so he started experimenting with his suit, finding he could blow up mass amounts of warriors with just the point of a finger. He also found that since the suit ran on his own body power, it drained him rather quickly._

_"Gotta be careful about how much of my own power I use at once..." he mused to himself, shaking stars out of his vision. Suddenly, thousands of skeletons were on top of him, pinning him to the ground. As much as he tried, Danny couldn't get them off, and only succeeded in draining his own power._

_His emotions were frantic and he lost all control, desperately trying to escape, yet only weakening himself. Suddenly, a bolt of energy came out of nowhere, melting the warriors._

_"Need a hand?" it was Liz, flying in to save Danny._

_"You shouldn't be here!" Danny snapped, standing up to glare at his partner._

_"Yeah well, I am. I'm not letting you do this by yourself Danny." Liz said firmly, blasting away another skeleton as it tried to pounce on Danny._

_"You're going to get yourself killed! You need time to heal!"_

_"You have an equal chance of dying! You've been out here 10 minutes, and you're_ _**life force** _ _, as in the thing keeping you alive, is at 75%." Liz pressed her face to the helmet of Danny's suit. "I'm not saying we're gonna make it out alive. I'm saying that whatever happens, we're doing it together. Just like we always say we will. Got that?"_

_Danny frowned, exploding more warriors, and wincing as it drained away more of his life. "Fine." he snapped. "But only if you promise me one thing."_

_"What?"_

_"That as soon as we kick this guys ass, you go home. I don't care what happens, I don't care what damage is happening. You go home safe and alive."_

_Liz nodded. "Sure." I wondered if Danny saw the crossed fingers behind her back. "But you didn't think I came here without help, did you?"_

_Liz pulled out a soup thermos, and opened it, and suddenly a small army of ghosts were in front of her. Danny gave her a look, and Liz just shrugged with a smirk. And the war raged on._

_Danny and Liz were strong as teenagers, but not nearly as strong as when I'd met them. If they'd fought this battle at 16, it would have ended faster. But as it was, Danny was reckless with his power, falling to 50% before they even reached the doors of the castle they were trying to break into._

_"Watch you power, idiot!" Liz snapped, shielding him from a flurry of arrows and he fell on his butt._

_"I- sorry." he stuttered, getting back on his feet. All around them, there was battle. The ghost friends Liz and brought along were decent fighters, taking down skeletons left and right- either that, or the warriors just sucked._

_Suddenly, one of them called out for Liz to move. Liz didn't, and yelped as an arrow lodged itself in her thigh._

_"Liz!" Danny screamed._

_"I'm fine!" She spat, breaking off the shaft and snapping the skeletons head off._

_"Those are made with ectoplasm!" Danny said, fear laced in his voice._

_"I know!" Liz snapped. "But I said I'm fine. Get in the castle, I'm right behind you!"_

_Their ghost buddies covered them as they ripped open the front door and tumbled inside, promising to end this, one way or another. The two stopped in the front hall, taking a moment to catch their breath._

_"You ok?" Danny asked Liz._

_Liz glared at him through her sweat soaked bangs. "I'm fabulous." She stopped as she took in Danny's sweating face, pale complextion, and ragged breathing. "How much power do you have left?"_

_"Enough."_

_"Danny"_

_"45%," the ghost boy confessed. Liz sucked in her breath. "I'll be fine Liz."_

_"You dad almost died when the suit got him to 15%. Danny, you have to be more careful. Just stop using the suit! Please!"_

_"You know we don't have a chance of beating Pariah without it."_

_Liz blinked, her eyes watering. "We could try! Danny, don't do this to yourself! Please!"_

_Danny looked at where Liz was floating next to him, the wound in her leg gushing blood. "You need to leave Liz. You're hurt. I can finish this."_

_Liz shook her head. "No. We're gonna finish this. Together."_

_Danny smiled, pressing his giant suit hand to Liz's. "Together." he agreed._

_The entered the throne room, where a 9 foot ghost stood, waiting for them with a smirk._

_"A little rough around the edges, aye children?" He asked._

_"Shut up Pariah." Liz snapped._

_"Let's just skip to the part where we kick your ass." Danny challenged, his breathing labored._

_Pariah smiled, almost as if he pitied the two. "Very well," he swung his mace in his hand. "I accept you terms!" With that, he jumped forward, knocking Liz to the side with the handle to his mace, and slamming Danny full in the chest with the spikes._

_Liz went flying into a wall, growling as she peeled herself off. Danny was bent over, trying to focus his double vision, his life force meter rapidly dropping._

_"Over here, loser!" Liz yelled, blasting Pariah in the face with her ecto energy, or whatever she called it. While he was distracted, Danny hit him full force with a blast of his own. The beeping of his life force counter getting lower echoed in the room. Pariah flew back into his throne, shattering the wood._

_Liz cursed as Danny fell on one knee, groaning out loud. Pariah just looked triumphant._

_"Having that much power," he said as he stood, barely a scratch on him. "It's a burdan, it's it child?" he threw his mace like he was Thor throwing his hammer, missing Danny the first time, but hitting both Danny and Liz on the way back. The two were flung forward, and landed a few feet in front of their enemy._

_Liz hissed as she landed on her thigh, Danny too Dazed to do much more than talk. "It isn't the power that's the berdan," He panted. "It's how you use it!"_

_"And we all use our power poorly sometimes..." Liz breathed. Danny looked at her. Both of them were in bad shape. Liz looked like she was about to pass out and Danny had 37% of his life left to waste fighting a man they had no hope against. I had to remind myself that this was a memory, and that the two did actually somehow manage to survive this._

_Pariah kicked Danny away, sending him flying into a pillar in the room, then picked Liz up. "Do you two really think you can stop me?" The ghost asked, laughing. He tossed Liz up in the air and caught her again, taking in joy in how she screamed from the pain in her leg._

_Danny got back up, locked eyes with Liz, and split into 4 Danny's._

_"You're gonna kill yourself!" Liz yelped as one Danny saved her, two more tackled pariah, and the original just stood there, trying not to fall over. With a groan, Liz, too, split into four of herself, each one picking a Danny to help. With 8 of them, the battle seemed to be going their way._

_"LEAVE OUR TOWN ALONE!" All of the Danny's yelled. All of them were fighting- I couldn't even tell which one was the original anymore. There were four Liz's in the air, each one firing ghost rays at Pariah as the Danny's beat the senses out of him._ _One of the Danny's got beat up and 'died', but it didn't seem to bother anyone. Slowly, Danny and Liz were winning._

_"Surrender children!" Pariah demanded. "You can't possibly win!"_

_"We don't have to win!" Danny declared. "We just have to make sure you lose!" His life was at less than 25%. He blasted a whole in the wall to reveal a coffin, the perfect size for pariah dark._

_Two Liz's and one Danny flew towards it, heaving the door open. Another Liz flew around the ghosts head, keeping him distracted. The last two Danny's and the final Liz grabbed Pariah's waist and started pushing him towards the coffin, using all their strength._

_"No!" The ghost shouted. The distraction Liz kicked his flaming crown away, and suddenly, the ghost seemed about 50% weaker. "NO!" He shouted again, killing the distraction Liz. The rest kept holding the coffin open until the others could shove him inside. With a mighty burst on energy, the three pushing Pariah shoved him hard enough to send him flying face first into the coffin._

_The copies of Danny and Liz disappeared and we were left watching the original Danny and Liz press all their weight into the door, trying to seal it shut._

_"Stay with me Danny!" Liz shouted, as she noticed Danny's body slowly crumpling to the floor. His life was at 8%._

_Liz herself was slowly sinking to the ground. I didn't know much about ectoranium, but from what'd I'd read in the Guys In Whites files was enough to worry me. Liz still had an ectoranium arrow head in her thigh, and that didn't bode well for her._

_"Get out of the suit Danny!" Liz yelled._

_"Gotta... close the coffin..." Danny muttered._

_"Danny! I said get out! I can do this myself, but I won't be able to do anything if you're dead!"_

_"You're bleeding..." Danny said weakly, looking at Liz with a hazy look in his eyes. The meter was at 6%._

_"Danny I'm fine! Please!" Liz was crying. "I can't lose you!"_

_"We're dying..." Danny laughed weakly, still leaning on the coffin. "Together."_

_Liz looked at Danny. She tried to move towards him, and found that she couldn't. Truthfully, it looked like she was fading faster than he was. "We aren't gonna die." She told him._

_"We stopped Pariah. He lost." Danny smiled weakly. "We didn't win, but he lost." His suit beeped down to 4%._

_Liz looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she smiled. She was too tired to much else. "You're right. He lost. But we're still gonna win, ok? But you gotta stay with me, you gotta keep that 4% ok?"_

_Danny glanced at his life meter and laughed. "Wanna know a secret?" He opened his suit and fell out of it, still connected to it, but closer to Liz. "That's not my life force." They both tensed up as Pariah tried to break out of the coffin, but couldn't. It wasn't locked or sealed yet, but these two 14 year old kids were keeping it closed._

_"Then what is it?" Liz asked, confused, watching in horror as it beeped down to 2%._

_"It's_ _**your** _ _life force. Mine's on that screen." Danny pointed to another screen that was frantically blinking 1%. "I had to make sure you were alright so... so I had it connect to... to you..."_

_Both screens flashed 1%._

_"Danny," Liz said, looking at him, her eyes half closed. "Your an idiot, you know that?"_

_He smiled weakly. "Yeah. And now I'm an idiot who is gonna die. But hey, at least we did it together, right?"_

_Liz looked at him, his watering blue eyes on her tearful green ones. "Yeah. Together."_


	29. The story of a monster- Danny

Chapter 29 Danny

_"Hey old man! Ready for a blast from your past?" I was talking, but I wasn't- the voice speaking was a little too prepubescent to be mine. Or at least, present day mine. 14 year old me- yeah. That's a possibility._

_Reliving my own memories was weird. I was actually living them. Like, I was fully aware I was me, 17 year old Danny, sitting in the Teen titans tower, but at the same time there was a part of me that was thinking I was 14 again._

_My future self turned to look at me in surprise as Angel secured my friends and family to the wreckage of the Nasty Burger. Liz was flying next to me, her white hair flowing behind her. 17 year old me would have thought she'd looked stunning, but hormonal 14 year old memories flooded back or briefly thinking she looked hot and then focusing on the soon to be fight._

_I slammed my full body weight (not that there was much of it) into Dan, sending him flying back with a grunt._

_"Don't worry," Liz said, ripping Angel away from our friends. "We got this!"_

_"We won't turn into that." I promised. I noticed Lancer staring at us with wide eyes, and offered him what I hoped was a calming smile. "This sorta explains our periodic absences, huh?"_

_"DANNY WATCH OUT!" Liz yelped and Angel slammed her into the ground. A sticky green rope wrapped around my waist, pulling me towards Dan._

_"What are ya gonna do?" I challenged him as he grabbed the front of my costume. "Kill me? What would happen to you?"_

_Angel flew up to meet us, holding a kicking Liz tightly in her arms. "You're just as stupid as I remember, Danny." she spat, her red eyes narrowing as she laughed. "Don't you get it?"_

_" **We're** still here," Dan pointed out. " **We** still exist! Which means, no matter what you think you can change, you still turn into us!" He tossed me back into a light post. My head cracked against the metal, and my vision filled with stars._

_"Danny!" Liz squirmed out of Angel's grasp and tumbled to the ground next to me, shaking my shoulder until my eyes focused again._

_"We don't want to kill you." Angel said sweetly, landing lightly in front of us. "We just have to keep you distracted."_

_"Distracted?"_

_Dan nodded. "Your life is gonna fall apart one way or another. Let it be this way! Just a few more minutes Danny! And trust me," he wrapped an arm around Angel's waist. "This is the least painful future for you both." He sprung forward._

_Liz rolled to the side, just barely missing getting hit by Dan. I went intangible and phased through the ground, popping back up a few feet behind Dan._

_"Maybe if you focused more on your past, you'd have remembered the specter deflector," I told him, pulling the anti-ghost belt out of my backpack and fastening it around his waist, watching with a sick sense of satisfaction as he writhed in pain._

_"Or the ghost gauntlets!" I tossed the gloves to Liz, who set to work beating Angel away from Dan. I noticed an oil truck abandoned a couple of yards away from our current battle._

_"Liz!" I jerked my head towards it. She looked at it, then at Dan's head of flaming hair, and nodded. With a scream, she punched Angel in the direction of the truck, sending the older ghost flying. Dan growled and flew after his girlfriend, crouching next to her to make sure she was alright._

_"Do it," Liz told me, ripping the gauntlets off and passing them to me. With a nod, I ripped the oil container open, and Liz pushed the ghosts inside. Dan and Angel had half a second to mutter a curse that would have the queen of England spilling her tea before a huge explosion rocked the street._

_A wall of heat blew Liz and I back, and debris from the truck rained down on us, metal scratching us and hot oil peppering our clothes with burn holes. Flames danced down the street, but we didn't see anyone emerging from the wreckage._

_"Are they gone?" Liz panted, standing up from where the blast had knocked her down. I stood, shaking ash from my hair._

_"I- I don't know-"_

_Dan stalked out of the flames, Angel hot on his heels. With a growl, Dan ripped the specter deflector off and snapped it in half. Neither of them had a scratch- if anything, they just looked pissed off._

_Dan's arm was on fire as he grabbed Liz. Angel's hands circled around my neck, a murderous look in her eyes. The threw us to the ground, leaning over us and duplicating into four copies each._

_"Your time is up kiddos." Dan smirked. "It's been up for a long time."_

_Liz and I could do nothing as all 8 monsters beat us senseless, using every power at their disposal; ghostly powers, physical powers, verbal insults, even grabbing the scattered pieces of debris and turning us into personal pinatas. There was nothing we could do to fight back._

_Eventually they paused, bored that Liz and I no longer even had the strength to make noises of pain. We fell against each other, looking up at Dan and Angel with hurt, scared eyes._

_"You alright?" Liz whispered to me, wiping away the trickle of blood that was falling from her lip._

_"I have a broken rib..." I muttered, feeling the pain in my chest, as well as everywhere else. "Or cracked, at least."_

_Liz nodded, looking into my eyes as Dan and Angel surrounded us again, sadistic smiles on their faces. It hurt me to see her this beat up- bruises covered her face, blood falling from her lips. Her costumes was torn to pieces, blood and dirt staining the fabric._

_"You two are adorable!" Angel laughed, looking down at us. "You remember when we were that cute, Dan?"_

_Dan glared at her. "I wasn't cute."_

_"You were totally cute! You're **still** cute! Even if you won't admit it!" Angel poked her boyfriends cheek and he shoved her off, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks._

_Angel laughed again, calling back in her clones. She kneeled down on the ground next to Liz and I, her face filled with curiosity. "Why are you still fighting us?" She asked. Dan looked at her strangely, also calling in his clones._

_"What are you doing?" he asked._

_"I'm curious!" She hushed him. "They've seen the power they have when they're older. They've seen how happy they are. They've seen everything. So I don't understand why they wouldn't want this!"_

_"We aren't evil!" I rasped out. Dan scoffed, folding his arms over his chest._

_"Danny," Angel reached out and caressed my cheek, her red eyes almost gentle. "There is evil everywhere in the world, in every person. Even you." She sent a loving glance towards Dan. "This entire future happened because you stole the answers to a huge test! Isn't that evil?"_

_"He isn't evil!" Liz cried, pushing her future self away from me. "He's a kid! Making bad choices is part of the ride, but is doesn't make him evil!"_

_"Then what about you?" Dan raised an eyebrow. "I know Danny felt guilt about the answers. But what about all the bad choices you've made. Remember when you broke Patricia's arm in first grade?"_

_"And felt no guilt at all?" Angel went on. "Isn't that evil?"_

_"Shut up!" I demanded. "She isn't evil!"_

_"She's her fathers daughter." Angel said. "You can't escape an evil like that. Well, you can. But only by becoming me."_

_"Dad wasn't evil!" Liz protested. Angel just laughed._

_"Sweetie, you don't know you're father. Ever wonder why our eyes turned red?" She blinked her glowing red eyes. "Yes, it's cause of Robert. But, if you remember, you were **born with purple ghost eyes**."_

_Liz all but hissed as she tried to stand up and fight. With a careless flick of his wrist, Dan sent us both flying backwards into a building; the wall crumbled, bricks falling down. And electrical wire was cut and was left open, sparking dangerously._

_"What makes you think you can change our past?" Dan wanted to know, flying over menacingly._

_"We promised." I coughed out._

_Dan tossed his head back and laughed. "Oh my God, you are such **children!** You **promised**?"_

_"Yes!" I shouted. Something was rising in my chest. Was I going to throw up? Was I going to die? No... not it felt more like I just had to scream._

_I had promised my family. I promised my friends. I promised Liz. I wouldn't turn into this thing, this monster!_

_"You're a child, Danny." Dan scowled, raising a hand glowing with power. Angel smirked, wrapping her arms around his waist and staring down at us, waiting to watch us die._

_"No..." I whispered, looking at Liz. She moved towards me, trying to pushed me out of the way of Dan's attack- she didn't see the sparking wire._

_Three things happened at once, all in a matter of one second; Dan fired his ghostly attack at us, I screamed, and Liz pounced towards me, landing on the sparking wire. The next second was even weirder._

_My scream wasn't a scream. It was something much more powerful. It was waves of pure power and sound washing over the city, directed and Dan and effectively blowing him back. Liz was screaming 'move!', but there was power coming from her too. Lightning was flying from her fingertips, blasting Angel back._

_"What was that?" I panted, helping Liz to her feet. Dan and Angel were too weak to get up._

_"That's impossible!" Dan raged. "We don't get that power for another 10 years!"_

_Liz looked at me with tired eyes and shrugged. "I dunno, but lets try it again."_

_I'm not sure how we did it, but we did. The power we had together sent the two older ghosts crashing into one of the strongest buildings in Amity Park. The entire structure collapsed on top of them with a loud thud as glass shattered and rock broke._

_Liz and I both fell to the ground, panting. Lights flashed as we were forced back into our human forms, where we looked even more beat up than we did as ghosts._

_"Did... did we do it?" I asked, hardly able to keep my eyes open. Rocks slid down and two very beat up and pissed off 24 year old ghosts crawled out._

_"How did you do that?" Angel demanded. She looked like a deranged cat woman, crawling towards us with her long hair in a mess and her clothes in tatters. "It's not possible for you to have that power yet!"_

_"The future isn't set in stone." I said, pulling out the thermos and sucking them both inside. As I did, they gloated about Liz and I being too late to save 'them'. As soon as the thermos was shut tight, Liz and I spun around to see that the Nasty Burger was in the brink of exploding._

_We ran as fast as we could, but in our state, it wasn't that fast. We tripped over the debris and before we could move, we were blinded by an explosion that would soon take out an entire city block._

"No!" I shouted, jumping up to my feet. I blinked rapidly, the image of my friends and family blowing up fresh in my mind.

I was in the Titans Tower. I was ok. No one was blown up. No one had died then. So why wasn't my heart rate slowing?

The titans were just as discombobulated as I was. They were glancing around, shaking their heads in confusion. Robin was the first person to snap out of it, and he was at my side as soon as he was.

"Hey, Danny, bro." he snapped his green gloved fingers under my nose. "Look at me! It's ok, you're alright! That was years ago, ok? It's over. It's over, you're safe. Nothing happened, no one was hurt. It's ok Danny, take a deep breath."

I sucked in some air, rubbing a hand over my face. "I'm fine. It... It was just weird." I told him. I could almost feel the way my life had literally been drained away by the suit, almost still hear Dan's voice in my ear.

I sat down heavily on the floor with the rest of my team, my breathing evening out.

"That was... Intense..." Cyborg muttered, looking at him with concern. "You did that all within a year?"

"About a month and a half apart from each other." I laughed. "Ghosts don't tend to give out vacation days."

"So, that was them," Leon breathed. "That was Dan and Angel. Wow. They were so _badass!_ " he looked at me, his eyes shining with excitement. "That was the story, wasn't it? The first time you ever used your wail? Dude, that was so much cooler than I ever imagined! Like, the first wail! Wow! And Liz's first element! I just- it's so cool dude! You guys can't tell that story right, ya know that? It's so much cooler to actually see it! And Dan- damn dude that guy is _huge_! Is he on steroids or something? And-"

"You sound like a highly caffeinated fanboy at Comic-con." Dani told him, shoving him playfully.

"I don't care!" Leon leaned towards me, a geeky smile on his face. "That was so much cooler than any action movie I've ever seen in my life! Dan was so cool! I can't believe that he and you are the same person!"

"We _aren't_ the same person." I snapped, flicking his forehead.

Leon cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? Dan and Angel are you guys from the future so-"

"I am _not_ him." I insisted. "I might share DNA and a past with that monster, but I'm not him. Got it?"

Leon nodded.

"What was Angel talking about?" Beast Boy wanted to know. "She was telling Liz their eyes were like, red and stuff right? But she said they were born with purple eyes. So why were her eyes red?"

"Most ghosts have red eyes." Dani told him, running a hand through her hair. "Only a few have other colors- no one knows what makes them different. Frostbite has blue eyes but it's because of his power. Danny has green eyes, but no one knows why; if we were going by logic then red and blue would make purple, right? But NOPE! Danny boy has green eyes. Anyways, Robert had red eyes, Claire had purple eyes. That's why Liz had purple ghost eyes, we think. Dunno why her regular eyes are green though."

"So when she went evil, so did her eyes?" BB raised an eyebrow. "I'm confused."

"They didn't jut 'go evil'." I muttered. Leon and Dani looked at me- they didn't know the full story of exactly what had happened. No one but Liz and I did really. "Long story short, in the future Vlad separated me from my ghost half. I did the same for him, and his ghost half overshadowed mine. They... well we weren't compatible. Ghost Vlad was stuck in Phantoms head, and they merged together into an evil monster. Only thing is- Vlad ghost didn't stay. He faded away and it was just Dans evil thoughts. Ghosts are evil by nature, so all my evil thoughts were condensed into phantom. I didn't wanna be alone, so even though Liz tried to fight it, I separated her halves too."

"But she was born with her powers," Dani protested. "You can't just... take that away!"

"Exactly. As Phantom tried to pull them apart it started killing Liz. And in a way, it did kill a part of her. Whatever part of her that contained her humanity that balanced out her ghost instincts was gone. And the next time she opened her eyes, they were red. There wasn't a human side and a ghost side of her anymore. Just a ghost."

"That is very much of the horrifying." Starfire whispered.

I looked at the clones, and their wide eyes.

"How come you never told us?" Leon asked quietly.

"Because we didn't want you to look like that." I looked at the ground. "I didn't want you to look at me like you were scared of me."

"What- Danny we aren't-" Dani trailed off as I stood up, turning away from them.

"You know what you're dealing with now; a ghost king and me. Happy? I'm gonna go do... something."

My heart felt heavy. I was a monster. I hadn't thought of Dan in so long, but it made sense. Literally _all_ of that future had been my fault; stealing the answers, making the choice to cheat. Even the decisions I had only heard of were my fault. Why in gods name would I have asked Vlad to remove my ghost half? Why would I have tried to take away Liz's?

"They aren't scared of you." I turned and saw Raven behind me.

"What?"

"The titans have been around me for a long time," she said, standing next to me. We were on the roof- it seemed like my go to place when I was stressed. The mid-day sun warmed my skin, despite the December chill in the air. "If they're scared of anyone, they're scared of me."

"Did you see the way they looked at me?"

"Yeah." Raven brushed some hair out of her face. "I saw them look at you with awe and respect."

"They wouldn't look that way at a monster." I told her.

She nodded in agreement. "You're right, they wouldn't. And they didn't. You aren't a monster Danny." A soft hand cupped my cheek, turning my face towards her. "I'm serious."

"Raven, didn't you hear what I did?"

"I heard what some weird future version of you who lost everything did. I heard the actions of a hurt boy Danny, not a monster. Maybe Dan did monstrous things, but he was still you. And no matter how small the part of you that was left was, it was still _you_. And you? You could never be a monster."

I looked at her, stunned. Her eyes were filled with compassion, a look you didn't often see with Raven. "I did so many bad things; hurt people, _killed_ people."

"It kind of comes with being a hero."

"I did it as Dan."

"Danny, you don't know _what_ Dan did, you only know what people told you. Right?"

"W-well, yeah, but-"

"He could have been lying. He wanted to get under your skin in every way we could, right? He knew what he could say to do that. But you want to know what's the biggest proof against you being a monster, even as Dan?"

"What's that?" Our foreheads were almost touching.

"Do you think Angel was a monster?"

I blinked. "What? No... She was evil but no, not a monster. Not like Dan-"

"Yes or no Danny."

"No."

Raven nodded. "Exactly. Angel wasn't a monster, she was Liz. And even with everything Dan did, Angel still loved him. Even with everything you did, Liz still loved you."

I moved closer to Raven. Liz still loved me. She was right, Dan and Angel had made a point to show that they were together. They loved each other. A monster couldn't love someone, could it? And Liz wouldn't have loved a monster, would she?

"I still don't know..." I admitted.

"Then take it from a real monster," Raven said, tilting her chin up. "You could _never_ be a monster Danny. Even if you turned into Dan."

And suddenly my lips were pressed against hers; a kiss from one monster to another.


	30. Letting go- Raven

Chapter 30 Raven

I couldn't tell you if I kissed Danny, or he kissed me. All I know is that we kissed. And it was beautiful and hideous.

His lips were slightly chapped, yet still managed to be soft. One of his hands dropped to my waist, the other cupping the back of my head; I felt like I fit into his grip perfectly. My hand was still on his cheek, my other arm sliding itself around Danny's neck. I could feel his heart beat against my chest, strong and steady.

Suddenly, Danny pushed back, his cheeks red. “Raven I- I'm sorry I just can't. I- I'm so sorry,” I couldn't say anything before he wrapped his arms around himself and darted off the roof, jumping off and going ghost. He turning intangible and flew back into the tower, running off to hide somewhere.

I stood on the roof, arms hanging limply at my sides. What did he mean he was sorry?

 _He loves her._ Something whispered. I spun around, prepared to see someone behind me, but no one was there. Whatever it was had been right though- Danny didn't love me. No matter what, he still loved Liz.

“You alright?” I jumped as Robin joined my side.

“W-what?”

“At risk of sounding like a stalker, I saw what just happened.” Robin confessed. “I followed Danny up here to talk to him, but you beat me too it. That was uh...”

“You _watched?”_ I spat.

“No! No, not like, _watched_ watched!” Robin blushed all the way up to his ears. “I just heard you talking. I turned to see you guys talking, thought about joining you, decided you didn't need it and then suddenly you guys were-” he cleared his throat. “Anyways I turned away, just in case you were wondering.”

I turned away from him. Why the hell had he watched? Why the hell had he come out to check on me? Wasn't he practically married to Danny anyways? He should have been going after him, not staying up on the roof with an emotional teenage girl.

“He wasn't trying to hurt you...” Robin said quietly.

“It didn't hurt.”

Robin put a hand on my back. “Raven. He really wasn't.”

“I said it didn't hurt me!”

“Then why are you crying?”

I brought my hands up to my eyes, surprised to find them watering. Robin didn't say anything after that, he just wrapped his arms around me and let the very few tears I had fall. I don't even think it could be considered crying; more like my emotions sprung a leak and it took me a moment to find the sense to plug it.

“I'm ok...” I whispered after a minute, noticing that my head was in the crook of Robins neck.

“You sure?”

I nodded. And I was. I was still hurt, but I was ok for now. And all I needed was to pretend to be ok for a minute, then I could find Danny. We'd figure it out. It'd be ok.

Robin yelped as the silence was broken by his ringing communicator.

“Danny?” He asked in confusion, strategically keeping me out of the screen. “You alright dude?”

“No.” Came Danny's curt reply. “I found something and I am by no means alright with it.”

Robin shot me a concerned glance over the top of the communicator. “Ok, what is it? Can you show me.”

“Just get here. And whoever you're with can come too.” And Danny hung up.

Robin shrugged and pulled up Danny's location. When he found it, his masked eyes widened.

“What?” I asked as he grabbed my wrist and started pulling me behind him, breaking into a run. “Where is he?”

“The hallway where Liz died.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What's he doing there?”

“I'm more concerned about what he could have found there.”

We were there in under a minute, quite the cardio experience. The hallway looked creepy compared to the rest of the tower; on of the lights was out and another was just flickering. Danny was standing in the middle of the hallway, muscles tensed.

“What the hell is this?” He asked, nodding towards the wall with a hard look.

Robin and I looked. He was pointing at the plaque we had hung in memory of Liz. Now, it was hardly recognizable. It had used to read “ **In loving memory of Elizabeth Marie Masters/ O' Conner, So suddenly taken from us at a young age, May her memory live on forever, R.I.P.** ”. Now it was mutilated.

In the first line, 'loving' and 'O' Conner' had be violently scratched out. The Name 'Lizzie' was carved above 'Elizabeth'. The word 'taken' had been scratched out and replaced with stolen, and 'us' had been replaced with 'me', the rest of the sentence scratched out. The last line was possibly the most unnerving; the words 'her memory' had been removed, and replaced with the letter 'I'. _May I live on forever._ Under R.I.P it read 'Rise In Pieces'.

“What the hell is this?” Danny asked. He looked at me and Robin for an answer.

“That's creepy,” was all Robin could say. We didn't have an actual explanation. We took the plaque off the wall and took it to the living room, where Cyborg was playing video games with Dani and BB.

“WHAT NOW!” Dani rejoiced, raising her controller above her head, once again breaking out into her terrifying victory dance.

“DANI!” Leon complained. “I swear to you, I will write a letter to congress and have a law made banning you from doing that dance if you _do no stop!_ ”

Dani just laughed, dancing aggressively as she chased him around the room, ignoring his various threats of calling the police.

“I'M BLIND!”

“And I'm a good dancer! DEAL WITH IT!”

Danny snickered as the kids chased each other around the room. Robin walked over to Cyborg, and asking him to pull up the security camera footage from Liz's death hallway. Cy look confused for a minute, but when he saw what Robin was holding, he understood.

“That's screwed up.” BB confirmed, looking at the plaque.

Danny nodded, drumming his fingers on his thigh.

“Are you all of the right?” Starfire checked. “You seem very of the jumpy.”

Danny cracked his neck and nodded in agreement. “Yeah... my nerves are kind of on edge I guess.” I wasn't hard to tell. His palms were sweaty, and I could literally hear his heart pounding.

Robin over heard us, and walked over. “Are you having a panic attack?” he muttered in Danny's ear. The ghost shook his head.

“No this... this is way different. This is... I dunno but I feel like something's wrong. I didn't go to that hallway. I was headed for the kitchen. I don't know how I ended up there.”

Robin gaped at Danny. “Uh,”

“Yeah, I know. Crazy, you don't have to say it.” Danny snapped.

“You look kinda pale Danny.” Robin told him. “Why don't you sit down while we search the footage, ok?” The ghost nodded. Robin motioned for me to follow him, the message clear; _don't leave him alone for now._

Danny slouched on the couch, bouncing his knees up and down, looking out the window. Awkwardly, I seated myself besides him. He didn't even seem to notice. Focusing, I tried to read his emotions, but I couldn't- they were too scattered to get a hold of a single one.

“Here my friend,” Starfire held out a cup with a straw to Danny. “Perhaps this shall help do the calming of your nerves.”

Danny muttered a thanks a took a sip. Suddenly, his eyes went wide, and he gagged, barely managing to choke down what Starfire had given him.

“Mustard,” he gagged, forcing a smile towards Star. “ya know, water would be better right now, if you don't mind.”

Starfire just shrugged and skipped off to exchange Danny's mustard for a glass of water.

“Always look before you drink,” I told him.

He nodded, gratefully accepting the glass of water Starfire brought him, downing it in one gulp. A minute later, he decided he couldn't sit still on the couch and opted for pacing in front of the window instead.

“You look like you're gonna get sick or something dude,” Beast boy told him, his eyes rotating as he followed Danny with his eyes.

“Thanks.”

“No, seriously. Like, sure you ok dude? Maybe Raven's mind powers jacked you up or something.”

I glared at him. “My mind powers wouldn't do anything like that. It's more likely that the memories in general have him on edge.”

Danny shook his head, lacing his fingers behind his head. “No, it's not that either. I just... I can't stop moving. I feel like there's something we should be doing. Something I need to do and something I'm missing...” He let out a frustrated growl and kept pacing. BB shrugged and sat upside down on the couch, watching as the clones kept running around.

“Aren't you tired yet?” I snapped at them.

They paused for a second, glanced at each other and shrugged. “Nope, not really.” They said in unison before chasing each other again.

I glanced at Robin and Cyborg. Cy raised an eyebrow. “None of them can stop moving. That's a little coincidental isn't it?”

Robin nodded. “Were Dani and Leon doing anything weird ten minutes ago?” Cyborg shook his head.

“But Dani _did_ suddenly beat me at a video game.” Cyborg told us. “And that's like, impossible.”

“It's something to do with Liz...” Danny mused pausing to look out the window. “Uh, guys? Since when did we have rain in the forecast today?”

Robin furrowed his brows and stood up. “We didn't...” He joined Danny at the window, eyes going wide. “But I guess we do now...” Black clouds were rolling in, blocking the sun from view. There was a low rumbling in the distance; a promise of thunder.

Danny just shrugged and went back to pacing the floor, BB still watching him.

“The weather, the ghosts, the plaque,” Cyborg crossed his arms. “This is starting to freak me out a little, to be honest.” Robin and I nodded in agreement.

“Raven,” Danny called me over. With a final look over my shoulder at Robin and Cyborg, I walked over to where he was. “I'm sorry about earlier.” He voice was fast. “I really am but I just can't. I just don't like you like that. I think you're awesome but honestly Liz is the only one I could ever love and I miss her and I don't know what I was thinking but you are so awesome and I love you as a friend but I just can't move on from Liz yet and I'm sorry and-”

“Why are you talking so fast?” I asked. He hadn't even paused to take a breath. Everything he had just said had sounded like one giant word would it should have been multiple sentences.

He looked at me. “What do you mean I'm not talking fast I'm talking like I always have but again I'm really sorry I just can't do this but you really are cool and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or anything.”

“Danny, take a breath, chill!” His chest was rising and falling really fast.

He glanced down at his chest, seemingly surprised at how fast he was breathing. When his eyes met mine again, they were glowing green.

“Robin!” I shouted, pulling Danny over to the leader.

“Yeah- oh. Uh, are you pissed or something?” Robin looked at Danny with concern. Danny just looked confused.

“What are you talking about?” He glanced over the clones. Sure enough, strange things were going on with them too. “Leon, Dani, why are your eyes glowing?” Danny asked.

The two paused, staring into each others eyes. “Dunno.” They said together. Danny called them over, looking at them with concern. “Whats going on with us?” He asked, an underlying layer of fear in his voice.

Before anyone could answer, Leon's purple eyes widened. “What in the frick frack diddley dack is _that_!?” He yelped, pointing wildly at the screen. No one even bothered to question him on his choice of words.

On the screen, the plaque was literally sparking. There wasn't anyone there, but small bolts of electricity were jumping around the small slab of metal, scratching off letters with meaning and purpose. Out of nowhere, a man appeared. He looked homeless or something- his black hair was long and shaggy, his clothes roughed up. He leaned back on the wall with a bored expression, watching the lightning do it's work. Eventually it took too long, and he held out his palm, a knife appearing out of thin air.

With a flick of his wrist, the boy slashed into the plaque, the lightning dancing around him. It even touched him a few times, but he either didn't notice or didn't care. When he was done, the knife disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. The boy reached out and grabbed at the electricity; as he touched it, the form of a girl was outlined in electric pulses. Then it was gone. The boy turned towards the camera and smiled at it, as if he knew exactly where it was and that we'd be watching it. He moved forward until his face could took up the entire frame, his dark brown eye staring us down, as if he was actually there.

The boy winked, his eyes flashed red, and he was gone.

“I know him...” Danny breathed. “He was in a nightmare I had! One I had about Liz!”

“This was a couple of weeks ago,” I said as I looked back at him and the clones and almost screamed. They were all moving around, but that wasn't what scared me. Everything about them kept switching between their human and ghost forms at random, their hair could be normal but their eyes would be ghost and their shirt would be ghost but their pants would be human and then you'd blink and it'd be all messed up again.

“W-what are you guys doing?” Cyborg stuttered.

Danny and the clones looked down at themselves with wide eyes.

“We aren't doing this!” All three of them gasped, looking up with scared expressions.

Thunder rumbled outside and the three of them winced. “We need to do something for Liz.” Dani said.

Leon nodded. “Yeah, yeah. We need to do something for her.”

BB stood up. “Oooookay. What do you wanna do for her?”

Danny opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, like a fish. “That thing!” He said desperately. “You know!” Dani and Leon nodded in agreement.

Starfire set a hand on Danny's shoulder and gasped. “Friend Danny, you are so cold!”

Robin pushed his way up to him, and pressed a gloved hand to Danny's face. “Dude, she's right. You're like ice!” A quick check found that while Dani was just as cold as her twin, Leon seemed to be hot enough to pre-heat an oven.

Cyborg shook his head. “That's it, there's something wrong with you guys. C'mon, you need to come with us-”

“NO!” All three of them shouted. “We... We need to do the thing first!” They looked desperate for us to do whatever it was they wanted.

“Ok, ok, tell us what we need to do,” I told them, ignoring the weird looks I got from the other titans. Truthfully, the ghosts were scaring me, and they clearly needed help. And if doing this _thing_ , whatever it was, was gonna get them that, I was all for it.

Danny nodded like a bobble head and opened his mouth again, but again, nothing came out. A low whine came from the back of his throat. “It's on the tip of my tongue!” He complained.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. The three half ghosts cried out and fell to the floor as the lights flickered and died.

“What is wrong, friends!” Starfire wrapped an arm around Leon. “Blueberry, please speak to me!”

All three ghosts looked up at once. My blood ran cold. They were in their human forms, but their clothes were different. Danny and Leon were in black suits and Dani was in a long black dress.

“Funeral.” All three of them said from their place on the floor.

Beast boy cocked his head to the side. “You... wanna go to a funeral?”

Danny shook his head and stood up, pulling the clones with him. “No, that's the word we were trying to think of. We need to throw a funeral for Liz. We never did it. And with the weather today, it's perfect.”

“It doesn't have to rain for a funeral-” I pointed out.

“I know that! But Liz once said that when she died she wanted a funeral with only friends and she wanted it during a lightning storm.”

Robin shook his head. “Danny, you realize how crazy this right? We just saw some guy _break into the tower_ to screw up Liz's plaque, you guys just had a total ghostly freak out, and then suddenly you're dressed for a funeral? This is-”

“They're right.” I told Robin, who looked at me in disbelief. “They need some sort of closure- we all do. If this is what Liz would have wanted, then it's what we should do, right?” I looked at him, hoping he understood. Obviously, there was something wrong with this entire situation, but none of the ghosts seemed like they would do _anything_ until this funeral happened.

Thankfully, a knowing look seeped into Robins face and he nodded. “Ok. Everyone go get changed- all black. Cyborg, thing you can whip up a gravestone or something?” Cyborg looked at him like he was insane, but nodded, trotting off to grab it.

“There's a little flat section of a rock on teen titan island we could put it.” I told Danny. I figured I didn't have to change since I was already wearing black- no one seemed to want to tell me differently.

Not 10 minutes later, all 8 of us were outside in the pouring rain, all dressed in black. There was a cross made of scrap metal on the rock I had talked about, Liz's full name engraved on it. Most people would have thought it looked like a piece of junk, but Cyborg had honestly made it into a work of art. I seriously considered asking him to make me one so when I died I had something that cool marking my place of rest.

Beast Boy hunched over, shoving his hands in his black hoodie pockets as he shivered. “What do you do at a funeral?” He muttered. “And why do we all have flowers?”

“Everyone gets to walk up and say their final good byes to her,” Robin told the kid. “And then you put a flower down. You wanna go first Danny?”

Danny shook his head, whispering about wanting to go last. I shoved BB forward. The green teen looked at the cross and sighed.

“I really miss you Liz,” he said. “Like, like a lot dude... it just isn't the same without you. You made this place a lot of fun, ya know? And I'm really sorry you had to go. But I promise we aren't gonna let anything happen to Danny ok? And one way or another, we'll make sure those Dorks in White never hurt anyone again? I just... yeah...” He set his flower on the floor and walked away, his eyes watering.

Starfire went next. “Were you on my planet, you would have been hailed like the princess you truly are.” She smiled. “You were the truest of friends, and the bravest of warriors. I am honored to have known you and even more honored to be able to call you my friend. Memories of you shall never be forgotten, nor shall your pure heart or friendship. I will always cherish our time together, friend Liz.” Starfire kissed her flower before putting it next to Beast Boy's.

“Hey Liz,” Cyborg walked up. “Look girl, I'm so sorry it had to end this way for you. You really deserved so much better- you and Danny both. I know how hard it was for you to leave him and I wish it didn't have to be this way. But hey, we all know you're watching over him from wherever you are. We miss you- I... I miss you. I still remember about what we talked about. You remember that? When you told me what a real hero was? Well I listened to that and I just wanted to let you know that I'm trying real hard to be that kind of person. That kind of hero you were. I miss ya girl.” His voice cracked as he dropped his flower.

As soon as he was back with us, Beast Boy hugged him, crying on his shoulder. Dani rubbed his arm gently, watching as Robin walked forwards for his turn.

“Liz, I really didn't know you that well. I got kidnapped before I could really get to know you like the rest of my team did. And honestly, I feel like your entire death is my fault. Which it probably is, because if I hadn't told the Guys In White where you were, you wouldn't have gotten shot in the first place. And, I'm really sorry about that- I know that doesn't make up for getting you killed, but it's all I can say right now. I'd change places with you if I could. I miss you, even though I didn't know you much. You are honestly a kick-ass fighter and like everyone else has said, you just made every day life better. I know it isn't much, but I promise to take care of Danny, ok? I know I promised you that anyways, but I'm gonna do it again. He'll pull through, ok? No one is gonna hurt him. Thank you for everything you ever did for me and my team, every sacrifice you ever made for them. I know the world doesn't know all that you did for it, and if I could I'd tell them, but I can't. But I promise, we know. And we won't forget. We love you Liz.”

The pile of flowers was growing as the thunder grew louder and the rain fell harder. When Robin walked away Starfire fell into his arms, sobbing loudly and getting snot on his black suit. Not that he seemed to mind. He looked past her at Danny. The two nodded at each other, sharing some kind of bro code or something.

“It wasn't your fault.” Danny said. Robin just shook his head.

Leon blinked rapidy and rushed up to the grave, clutching the purple flower in his hand. “I wish I'd never left!” He cried, falling on his knees. “I wish I'd stayed with you longer and I'm so sorry! I love you so much and you have no idea because I never got to tell you! But Liz I love you! You were there when no one else was, telling me the truth, even if I didn't want to hear it! If I was hurt, you'd help, and you saved my life! You're the reason I'm alive at all! And I just want you back! I just want you!” The flower fell out of his hands and he hid his face with his hands.

I expected Danny to run towards Leon and comfort him, but he didn't. He hadn't moved at all since this funeral even started. He was just standing there, rooted to the spot, a woeful expression plastered on his face, as if he was trying his hardest not to cry.

Starfire ended up walking up to Leon and pulling him always. “It is ok to be sad, Blueberry.” She said as she too sobbed. The two sat on the ground, crying together.

Dani stepped forward next, almost shyly. “Hey Liz...” She said quietly. “I- I don't even don't know what to say. This never should have happened. Not to you, not to Danny. But it did, and we can't change that. I'm sorry. But I know it wasn't easy for them to kill you, there's no way you would have gone down without a fight. I just... Thank you Liz. For everything. I don't even know what 'everything' counts as, but thank you for all of it. All the good times, all the bad times- I loved all of it. I wouldn't change an of it for anything. I don't know if you're in a better place or not, but I do know that wherever you are, you're safe from all the dangers you were facing here. So yeah. I love you Liz, always have, always will.” She turned and ran away from the grave, losing herself in the group hug of Cyborg, Beast boy, Leon, and Starfire.

“Raven?” Robin offered me a small smile. “Your turn.”

I approached the grave. “I suck at words.” I told it. “But... I'll give this a try. Liz, you were... cool... I guess... yeah. And um, I feel like I should be crying right now or something, but that's not how I get my closure. Being sad over what's ended isn't my style- I'd rather celebrate what already was, ya know? But um... hey, listen, you changed my team in the best way. You brought us together in a way I never thought possible. We aren't a team anymore- we're a family. And it's all thanks to you. And yeah, we may never be whole again because we're missing you, but that's ok. You're never truly gonna leave us, right?” The metal cross didn't answer me. “Right... well, anyways, we're still with you, no matter where you are ok? We won't forget about you, so don't forget about us, deal?” I didn't hear a 'no', so I assumed my deal was taken.

Carefully, I laid my flower on the ground as the lightning and thunder grew more intense.

“Danny?” He looked up, as if surprised. “You ready? It's your turn to say goodbye to Liz.”


	31. Holding on- Danny

Chapter 31 Danny

“Danny?” I was startled out of my thoughts as Raven spoke my name. “You ready? It's your turn to tell Liz goodbye.”

Goodbye. I mouthed the word silently. Was I saying goodbye to her, really? Was I ready for this?

My head was spinning and I felt strange; obviously there was something wrong with me. I mean, I hadn't been able to control my ghost transformation! And then just _appearing_ in a funeral outfit? C'mon, it wasn't normal.

I didn't even remember most of the request for the service. I knew I'd done it, along with Dani and Leon, but I... I don't remember actually saying anything. I never wanted to do this. I still didn't.

“Liz,” My foot moved towards the grave marker Cyborg had made. “Hi. I... I'm here Liz. I'm still here.” The sky flashed with lightning. “So, how about this crazy weather, huh? It's perfect for you; perfect for what you wanted when you died. And you have, huh. You've died.” Another flash. “I wish you were here.”

Raven whispered to Robin about the storm, but I ignored them.

“Look, everyone else came here to tell you goodbye. Everyone else needs their closure. And I know that's what they want me to do. So I'm gonna try. Remember when you fought Phobos? I do. That was scary, ha. That creep just came out of the shadows and surrounded us with an essence of fear. All I wanted to do was hide and you told me to keep moving. Told me to keep repeating the one historical quote I can actually remember. And then we thought we were gonna escape, and his tentacle shot out and his suction cup grabbed you. And I lost you. For a week. I thought you had died, and I thought I would never see you again, and yet something in me knew you were alive. I didn't know what, but I knew. And I was right! You were fine! You came back to me. You've done that so many times Liz; scared me into thinking you were dead and gone, only to come back to me when I need you most. But... But I guess it won't happen this time, will it?” A raindrop hit me in the eye.

“You know what else I remember? I remember the first night we were free from the guys in white. God we were in bad shape. I couldn't walk, we were freezing, you were all cut up, we were too weak to move, and starving, and dehydrated. Things didn't look good for us. I still don't understand it. We must have been moments away from death and then... and then suddenly we were safe. Well, not _safe_ , but we were ok. I swear, all I'd done was blink and we were in a sheltered place- that little cave. We were only there for a couple of days, but I think it was safer than the home I grew up in. Do you remember that cave? We never could find it again. I wonder where it was, or if we just dreamed it. It was pretty unreal- close to running water for us to drink, and near the biggest damn grove of apple trees I've ever seen. That little home saved our life ya know. I wonder if we could find it again.” I stopped as the thunder and lightning seemed to grow even closer.

“I keep saying 'we', don't I?” I sighed. “But that can't be. You died. So now it's just me. I don't blame you or anything. I really don't. Everyone keeps calling me selfish for saying you left me, but they don't get it. I'm not complaining that you died and left me alone- that _would_ be selfish. I'm upset that you did it _without_ me. Upset that we didn't do it together- we're supposed to do everything together. Look Liz, they want me to let you go. I want to let you go. But... But the fact is I can't! I can't ok! I know it's stupid, I know it's hopeless, but I can't let go of us! There is still something inside of me holding on to the hope that you'll come back!”

Raven rushed forward, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Danny-”

“No!” I shouted, pushing her away. “I won't let her go! Do you hear me? I WON'T! Liz I've always known when you'll come back, always had that feeling inside. And I have it now! It's been getting stronger everyday since you left! You aren't gone! You can't be! You can't-”

A bolt of lightning struck the rock in front of me, sending me falling back. Another one and another hit the ground, all in the same place.

“ _Danny_ ,” A voice hissed. The titans glanced around, bracing themselves for a fight. Dani ran over to me and dragged me away from the lightning, eyes wide with panic. “ _I told you_ ,”

“W-what the hell?” Leon grabbed on to my arm- he was shaking.

“ _I told you to let me go.”_ There was a human in the lightning. Not just any human either. Oh no. This human, her body, her face, her voice. It was undeniable.

“Liz?”

The lightning person nodded. I couldn't breath. I had to be dreaming. This couldn't be real. This thing in front of me was just an outlined person; a 3-D doll made from constant bolts of lightning. “You aren't real.”

“ _I told you to let me go,”_ she said again. Her voice sounded like it was coming through a static filled radio station, but it was unmistakeably hers. “ _And you didn't._ ” She smiled. “ _And_ _ **you didn't.**_ _Find me soon, k Danny?”_ Her eyes flickered around. “ _I'm proud of you. Hold on to hope. Find me.”_

The lightning ceased. Liz disappeared. The strange feeling I'd had vanished, and my head cleared. The ground where the lightning had been was completely fine- no burn marks or anything. There was, however, a perfect star shape now carved into the rocks.

“Tell me you saw that,” I turned to look at the Titans. “Please tell me somebody else saw that!”

Robin was standing with his mouth ajar, eyes wide. “Lighting never strikes the same place twice.” Was all he muttered.

“This is whack.” Cyborg declared, a hint of hysteria in his voice. “That didn't really just happen, did it? I mean, it couldn't have been what we're thinking. It was magic, or a mass hallucination, or a hologram or... or anything!”

“Friends, the weather of gloom has ceased.” Starfire was right. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Leon was still latched onto me as we made our way back to the Titans tower, his body shaking with confusion and fear. The outfits Dani, Leon and I had been wearing disappeared as quickly as they'd come; I blinked and we were suddenly in our normal clothes.

Robin and Raven walked ahead of the rest of us, whispering to each other with obvious concern and confusion. The looks they repeatedly sent over their shoulders made me self conscious. Beast boy and Starfire walked with Dani, talking about what had happened.

“I feel fine.” Dani insisted quietly. “I just wanna take a shower. Speaking of which, I need some shampoo. Starfire, you got any I can borrow?”

“It was Liz...” Leon said distantly. His grip on m arm got tighter. I looked down at the kid; his face was pale and he looked like he was going to pass out or be sick. “I could feel it. I could feel the air in her lungs.”

“Is that some sort of added bonus of your wind power thing?” I asked, trying to keep the subject away from Liz.

Leon nodded. “When I focus, I can feel the airways around me. The paths it takes, where it's going, everything. That thing in the lightning was breathing.”

“How can you feel airways?”

“You could probably do it with ghostly energy too.” Leon said passively. “It's kinda like meditation. Just focusing on that power inside of you, and feeling the other places it is. And in that moment I focused, I could feel 9 breath patterns; 5 for the titans, one for myself, one for Dani, one for you, and one that came from that thing in the lightning.”

“It felt pretty supernatural,” Raven admitted, appearing in front of us out of nowhere. Leon jumped, his body pressing closer to mine. A part of me laughed as the punked out kid cowered behind me. Just the frightened little kid he always had been.

“Cyborg is going to give you three a check up.” Raven told us. “Make sure nothing... happened. Then he Robin and I are going to look more into what just happened. Until then you just hand out with BB and Star. Play games or whatever. Just take it easy ok?”

The check up proved to be a waste of time. There was absolutely nothing wrong with anyone- not even a case of the sniffles. I didn't entirely have any desire to around anyone so instead I wandered around the tower until I found a stairwell I hadn't previously discovered. It had a huge window with a windowsill that was at least a foot deep. The view was awesome- more water than anything else, with just the smallest taste of the city able to be seen.

For a few hours I sat there and texted Derek about what had just happened. The conversation was kind of slow because he was at work, but every chance he got he would respond. Jessica got off before he did and as soon as she was free I got spammed with her questions. It was nice to talk to them. They even offered theory's from the ghost zone as to what had happened, refusing to get their hopes up. Eventually Jessica fell asleep and Derek had to start his second shift, so I let them go.

“Danny?” I jumped and answered the call from my clone.

“Yes?”

“I really wanna take a shower but I don't have shampoo.”

I rolled my eyes. “That's very interesting Dani. But why do I care?”

“Starfire uses some weird alien crap and Raven... I'm not sure I need to explain why I'm not asking her for hair help. Beast Boy said Liz had a fully stocked bathroom. Could you show me where it is so I can use some feminine shampoo instead of your stupid testosterone, lumberjack crap?”

“Meet me in the living room and I'll show you where it is.” Before I could realize what I'd done, I was walking down the path to the room I shared with Liz, followed closely by Dani.

“This was her bathroom?” Dani asked as we stopped in front of the closed door.

I didn't blame her for the misunderstanding. The door to our bedroom looked just as out of place and random as all the other doors lining the rooms in the towers' halls. Slowly, I reached out and grabbed the handle.

“Dude, this place is huge!” Dani exclaimed as the door swung open. “What was this place?”

“This was our room...” I whispered, looking around it with a sad smile. Nothing had changed since the last day I'd been in here- the day Liz died. The bed was still unmade, my Ipod left on my pillow and headphones tangled. The bathroom light was still on- probably driving the titans electricity bill up the wall. No light was able to filter through the dust covered black out curtains, leaving the room dark and cold.

“Liz's bathroom is over there.” I pointed Danny to the correct door. “Go grab whatever you need- you can always come back for more.”

Dani looked at me sympathetically before walking off. Slowly, I strolled around the room, taking in what used to be mine. Technically it still was, but now the entire room felt like a graveyard or a memorial, like it was just wrong to touch or move any of it.

I picked up Liz's Ipod; the last song that had been playing was 'My Immortal'. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.

“Danny,” I turned and saw Dani walking out of the bathroom. “When was the last time you were in Liz's bathroom?”

I shrugged. “A long time ago. Why?”

Dani help up a sealed envelop addressed to me, her eyes wide. “This was taped to the mirror.” She said quietly. I leaned closer- the handwriting clearly belonged to Liz.

“Not funny Dani.”

“Danny, I'm serious. It was just... taped to the mirror.”

“I said this isn't funny!” I snapped, turning away from her. “I don't need this kind of stupid joke from you.”

Dani was quiet for a moment before I felt her hand on my shoulder. “I wouldn't lie to you Danny,” She put it on the bed in front of me. “I got what I needed.”

My eyes remained locked on the letter as I heard Dani leave the room. The silence in the room seemed to scream at me, almost more deafening than the silence had been the day we figured out Liz would die. It my my chest tighten and my stomach constrict, panic rising in my mind.

My mind raged war with itself, trying to understand what the envelop in front of me was. Surely it had to be a trick right? Liz wouldn't leave me a letter- and even if she had, why would it be in her _bathroom_ of all places? She had to know I'd never go in there.

_But it was on the last places_ _**she** _ _was._

Finally, the suspense was too great, and I ripped open the letter.

 

_Danny,_

_I... uh... hi, I guess? I don't really know how to write a letter knowing you'll only even read it when I die. Notice I say 'when' and not 'if'. I know it's gonna happen Danny. And... I mean, I don't want to say I'm ok with it, because I don't know if I am or not. I'm scared, sure, but at the same time, I know that this is going to be for the best. Does that sound bad? At least I won't have to worry about the Guys In White anymore. So, there's that I guess. But, I won't be with you. I know I've told you before, but that's truthfully the most painful part of this._

_It' finally coming to an end Danny, I can feel it. Ever breath I take is bringing me closer to the last. I know I'm acting fine, but it hurts. It hurts so bad. Not just mentally, but physically. You have no idea how bad. It takes so much effort for me to crawl out of bed every morning, to walk around, to smile. God, it's so hard. I don't know if I could do this without you here. It feels like my entire body is on fire- like I'm splitting apart molecule by molecule. And yes, I did say- write?- that just to make you groan XD._

_I don't want to leave you Danny. I really don't. I can't tell you how much you mean to me, can't put into words or onto paper how amazing you are, how much you've done for me, how perfect you are, how much I truly and wholly love you. Just you. You're the music in my life, my everything. And... and losing you is killing me. Well technically dying is killing me, but you now what I mean. But enough with this mushy crap, am I right? That's not why I wrote this letter. You need to take care of yourself Danny. Don't think for a second I'm falling for those empty promises you're giving me. I know you well enough to see how you're already loosing sleep, already eating less, already ignoring your health._

_Danny, if you stop living because of this, I will come back for the dead and hit you, so help me God. I know it will be hard. But things will eventually go back to normal... well, maybe not 'normal', at least not the normal you knew. But you'll find a new normal. You aren't alone Danny. The titans will be there for you, as much as you may feel otherwise. I know we haven't always trusted them, but I've made them all promise me to take care of you. They can only do so much- you need to help yourself, ok? I promise, it'll be ok someday. It may take weeks, months, or years. But it will be ok someday._

_Ok, now on to the hard part... This is the part that I don't want to write. The part that I'm crying about. My hand is shaking so bad, I'm not sure you'll be able to read this, haha. I've been keeping a secret from you Danny. A... a pretty big one... don't freak out, it's not anything bad necessarily, but... Do you remember that day I asked you about changing fate? You probably don't, it was just some random day. Well, actually it was the day Cyborg found out I was going to die, so I guess it's not **that** random. Clockwork came and saw me that day. Yeah I know right? What a time for the guy to show up. I... I won't go into too much detail since I don't exactly want to write you a novel here, but here's the gist of what happened. He took me back in time. Yeah, I heard the mic drop there too. Where'd he take me back in time to? He took me back to when my da... to when Robert got my necklace from Desiree. _

_Yeah, it seemed random to me too. Long story short, there was a price my dad had to pay for my necklace. I'm not talking money. He literally had to have the burden of knowing my fate thrust upon him, and he had to choose one, upon many other awful things. I think he had three choices? I dunno, it was a while ago. He could choose to let me live a full life, but be unhappy, let me live to like 20 or something and be mostly happy, or... live to be 17 and be happy. I know that sounds like a terrible choice, but there was something off about the last one. It wasn't guaranteed that I died at 17. The clockwork of the past, and the clockwork I was with both said that they could only see my life up to 17 years, then they couldn't see my future **at all**. Let me make that clear- not seeing my future does no mean that I died in that particular time line. It means that something literally stopped him from seeing what came next. _

_Why is that important, why am I telling you this? Two reasons. First, Clockwork took me back in time like that so that I could choose my own fate. Yeah, Mr. Won't-Screw-Up-Time-Mc-Must-Follow-The-Rules offered to bend time and space for me. Aren't I a special little star? Needless to say, I didn't chance anything. Why? Well, I never met you in any other time line. Yeah, yeah, I can see you're eyes watering, and you hero halo appearing now. 'Why would you choose me Liz?' 'Why wouldn't you choose life?'. That's what you're thinking? Right? Yeah, don't lie, I know **exactly** what you're thinking. Well go back and re-read the third paragraph of this letter and BOOM. That's why I didn't change anything. Was it selfish. Absolutely. Don't care. For once, I thought about just me. I mean yeah, any other time line wouldn't have had us kidnapped and tortured buuuuuuuut I wanted you. I'm sorry. I know you might change things, even though you said you wouldn't. Not the point. The point is, I learned a lot during my little blast to the past. Mainly that my necklace has some serious power. Like, damn. Again, not going into detail, but one of the biggest things that caught me off guard is it's... I don't even know what to call it. Pain resistance? It can literally help keep me from being in pain. I mean, obviously I still get hurt, but it explains a lot right? But with that power was some other seemingly random detail that I can't stop thinking about. Now do **not** get your hopes up Danny. Do you hear me? This isn't logical by any means. This is crazy, even by our standards. _

_Ok, here it is; apparently, if I'm ever close to death, like literally just straight up dying and will actually be dead, my necklace will take me to the ghost zone, to Clockwork or Frostbite, or any other nice ghost, so they can help me. Yeah. Insert another mic drop here. Ok so please stop smirking and plotting and scheming and whatever else you're doing. Like I said, Clockwork didn't even seem to make a big deal out of this, so I'm fairly sure I'm just going crazy, trying to find a way out of this mess. But... There might be a chance right? It's no secret I'm dying. I've never felt so screwed up in my life. So... so maybe it might work right? It could be days until you find this letter, maybe weeks. Hell you may never see it. But Danny, as much as I hate to be getting you're hopes up, there might be a chance of getting me back. If I get taken or whatever to the ghost zone, maybe I won't be able to get back out to the real world, you know? Maybe... well there are too many maybe's to list._

_Now Danny, don't get me wrong. I'm still working on just accepting the fact that I'm going to be dead in a few days and I really hope to accept it too. Don't go crazy with this knowledge ok? This entire theory is insane. But if there's even the slightest chance of getting back to you than I'm gonna take it. Do with this knowledge what you will, but do not, I repeat **DO NOT** go insane trying to see if it works. One way or another, we'll see each other again. I'll always be with you Danny, no matter what. And you'll always be with me too. One day I'll see you again. I know I will. Whether it be in the ghost zone or in some ghostly afterlife, I will see you again Danny. I love you so much. Well, that's it I guess... I don't really have anything left I can say. There's so much more I want to say, but this letter is long enough. So I guess this is goodbye, at least until we meet again. I'll wait for you ghost boy._

_I'll always be waiting._

_~Liz_

A thousand thoughts ran through my head at the same time, none of them making sense. I couldn't grasp any of them as I stood there, hands shaking as they gripped the paper. The only clear thoughts I had were that I might get my girlfriend, my Liz, my everything back, but only if I got to the ghostzone.

There was noway I was going to be able to wait for Clockwork to come back and take me. I had to get there like yesterday. My mind raced, trying to think of another way. As much as I hated to admit it, there was only one option. But if there was even the smallest chance I could get Liz back, it'd be worth it.

“DANI!” I yelled, sprinting from the room. “LEON! ROBIN! EVERYONE!” Footsteps echoed through the halls as my friends, my team found me.

“What's wrong?” Beast Boy panted.

“Get the T-car ready,” I demanded. “We're going to Amity Park.”

Raven scowled. “Are you crazy? Why!?”

“Because Liz is waiting.”


	32. Family reunion

Chapter 32 Raven

We didn't take the T-car. We took the T-jet. Because yes, we were going on a hail Mary mission to Amity Park, the single most unsafe place for Danny to go. Why? Because after a freak lightning show- one that literally defied all laws of physics- Danny found a letter.

For the thousandth time since Danny had declared we were to return to his hometown, I unfolded the letter, eyes scanning the hand-written words. Turned out there was a chance Liz might be alive after all. Or, at least that's what Danny was hoping.

“You're making your lip bleed.” Robin scolded the ghost. Danny blinked and ran his fingers lightly over his bottom lip, which had in fact began to bleed.

“Sorry...” He muttered before looking out the window again. He was a mess of nerves. We'd only been in the jet for an hour and he'd already bitten his nails down until they bled, then moving of to tearing dead skin off his bottom lip with his teeth. His knees were bouncing and he was anxiously rubbing at his arms, pulling at his hair and clothes, anything.

“We shouldn't be here.” I said. Robin glared at me.

“They aren't gonna get you Danny. I promise.” He said, leaving his seat next to Cyborg and coming to kneel in front of the ghost boy.

Danny didn't look at him, opting to keep his eyes out the window instead. “Yeah.”

“I'm serious.”

“Yeah.”

Robin frowned slightly before grabbing Danny's arm and pulling him to the back of the jet so he could talk to him privately.

“This is a really bad idea.” I said again. Cyborg nodded from where he was steering.

“It's not the worst plan we've ever had,” he said. “But it's not a very good one either. A lot of risk is going into this.”

Dani hummed in agreement. She was standing next to Cyborg, waiting to point out the ghost shield around the city was once we arrived. “I don't know how we're gonna get past it...” she mused. “The jet will be fine, but it will literally feel like Leon, Danny and I hit a brick wall. Not to mention we're gonna have to somehow avoid being spotted by the wall guards, the security cameras, or any of the other numerous things that could kill us.”

I leaned back in my seat, once again cursing how bad our plan was. Leon had fallen asleep in his seat and Starfire didn't look like she was even listening.

“How'd you guys get past it before?” BB asked. “Didn't you say there was a weakness?”

“Bad weather and water...” Dani mused, placing a hand on her cocked hip. “There's the river, but it's literally in the GIW backyard. And the weather looks disgustingly perfect today.” she sighed. “I could try and use my water powers, but it'd be hard... there's not a very good chance it would work. So we need other ideas.”

“Raven!” Beast boy bounded over to me, his eyes sparkling. “What if you made a little portal thingy? Ya know, like when you make a door to your room out of nowhere?”

I bit my lip. “I could try that... but I've never done it with anything this big before! I'm not sure-”

“You can do it.” A soft voice assured me. I jumped and saw Robin and Danny lurking in the doorway. Danny looked tired and scared, but there was determination on his face. “One way or another, we'll get in. I just... I just have to know.”

“All you have to do is get us past the force field.” Robin said with a small smile. “I know you can do it.” BB nodded with him.

“Fine. But I still think this is the worst idea we've ever had.”

The rest of the flight was silent. The closer we got to Amity, the more anxious Danny became. He wasn't as bad as he'd been before Robin talked to him, but it was obvious how scary it was for him to be coming back. I wondered if he'd been this scared when he and Liz came to rescue us from the Guys In White.

“We'll keep you safe.” I found myself telling him, my hand grabbing his. His blue eyes flickered from the window to me, then back again. “It looks so small from up here.” he whispered. I looked past him and out the window. There was miles of road and trees below us, but in the distance I could see the outline of a city. A huge white building caught my eye and Danny swallowed hard.

“It really is huge. It felt so small in there but... just look.”

“Raven,” Cyborg called back. “We need you up here- gonna need your power in about five minutes here.” I nodded, giving Danny's hand a small squeeze before leaving his side. Leon woke up and took my place by Danny, trying to tell him about other things, trying to distract him.

“Ok, you see how that cloud over there looks all fuzzy?” Dani pointed. “That means we're coming up on the shield. About a minute and we're gonna hit it.”

“Hear that Raven?” Cy looked at me and grinned. “You're up!” We counted the seconds out loud until Dani yelled “now!” and I focused on opening a portal big enough to fit the entire jet. It was a weird and draining feeling, but a few seconds past and the jet filled with the cheers of Dani, Robin, and Cyborg. I dropped my hands and the portal collapsed, but we were through.

“Good job Rae!” Robin high-fived me with a grin on his face. Before I could get on his case about the nickname and the gesture, the jet shook and started falling towards the ground.

“We've been hit!” Cyborg yelped, desperately trying to regain control of the jet. Danny was yelling something about the Guys in White, Dani was smashing buttons, but nothing could be done. The ground rushed up to meet us as we crashed, sending everyone flying back, hitting the walls, the floors, and each other. The jet rolled a few time, earning screams and yelps from its passengers. Finally it came to a stop with a groan, and the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass ended.

For a few moments, I couldn't see anything. I was on my back, blinking, watching as things slowly came back into focus. I was on the roof of the jet- which was on the ground seeing as the jet had landed upside down- sprawled on my back. It hurt to peel myself up into a sitting position, but I managed. Starfire was hanging from her seat, her seat belt keeping her strapped in as her arms and legs dangled. Cyborg was slumped over the steering wheel, Dani on the floor a little ways away from him. Danny, too, was hanging upside down, his leg tangled in the seat straps. I looked to the left and saw Leon and Beast Boy slumped together in the corner, a pretzel of limbs.

“Raven?” Robin coughed and crawled towards me, pulling the lower half of his body out from under a mountain of metal. “You alright?”

I nodded, using the wall as support to pull myself to my feet. “We need to get out of here,” I rasped, clearing my throat. “Someone is bound to-”

“FREEZE! I HAVE THE JACK FENTON CREEP STICK AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!” A voice boomed as the ruined door fell in. Robin and I froze as Danny's father busted into the wreckage of our jet, took one look at his unconscious son, and clubbed us both over the head.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

“Dad, you can't keep them tied up like that!” A familiar voice cut through my pounding headache.

“They crashed a jet on our property!”

“That doesn't give you a right to hold them hostage!”

“They have one of the monsters that escaped from the Guys In white, Jasmine. Until we understand why they're here and why they have that _thing,_ they aren't going anywhere.”

I cracked my eyes open and took in the horror around me. My team and I were tired to chairs in a semi-circle around a stainless-steel examination table. Danny, awake and in his ghost form, was struggling against the bonds, his glowing green eyes wide. Duct tape covered his mouth, but I could hear the terrified whimpers he was making.

Jack, Maddie, and Jazz were in the corner arguing about what to do with us. The rest of my team was also awake, Dani and Leon yanking at the rope keeping them down. It must have been ghost proof because they weren't in their ghost forms.

Maddie suddenly looked at me and smacked her husbands arm. “They're all awake.” She said. Jazz sent me a helpless glance as her parents walked menacingly towards us.

“What are you doing here?” Maddie demanded, ripping the strip of duct tape covering Robin's mouth off.

“We- uh...” Robin looked behind her at Danny. Maddie took notice and snarled. “What, it has something to do with _that?”_

“ _That_ is your son!” Robin snapped, gaze hardening.

“It's a monster.” Jack countered. He slammed a hand down on the table Danny was strapped to, causing the ghost boy to flinch. “And I will enjoy ripping him apart, molecule by molecule.”

Danny rapidly shook his head, muffled cries coming from behind his taped mouth.

“You can't touch him.” said Robin. As confident as he sounded, I could hear the underlying panic in his voice. He was trying to think of a way to get us out of here with Danny, and all his molecules. “He's under our protection.”

“That thing should be locked up at the Guys and White lab.” Maddie twirled a scalpel in her hand. “Technically, you've stole government property.”

“He's a person- not property. His rights were violated there and they're being violated here. I suggest you let him go.”

Jazz nodded. “They're right. These guys are super heroes- you used to read about them online, remember? The teen titans from California?”

Jack help up a hand to silence his daughter. “If they're heroes then they should understand that this monster needs to put down. It's dangerous.”

“He's you're son!” Jazz exclaimed, eyes brimming with tears. “It's Danny! Look into his eyes and tell me that you don't see it! There is so much of the story you never knew- I did! It's Danny, I swear it!”

Maddie looked down into the eyes of Danny, face softening. For a moment I waited, breath baiting, and thought that she saw it. But then she impaled the scalpel in the table, centimeters from Danny's face. “All I see is a monster.” She spat. “Get out of here Jazz- you don't need to see what happens next.”

“I CALL THE FENTON MOLECULE MUTILATOR!” Jack declared, grabbing something that looked like a homemade sonic screwdriver off a table.

“NO!” Jazz shouted. My team yanked harder on their ties, desperately trying to make it to Danny before he was killed.

“I said leave, Jasmine. I don't want you to see this. The clean up will be messy enough.”

Danny looked horrified, squirming around.

“At- at least let him have his final words!” Jazz yelped, leaping in front of her parents and blocking her brothers body with her own. “Please. J-just let him have say goodbye.”

Maddie rolled her eyes, but ripped the tape off Danny's mouth none the less. “Well, monster?”

“He's not a monster!” Robin cried, his chair tipping over in his attempts to escape.

“He killed my son!” Jack shouted, voice echoing off the metal walls. “He killed our child!” In a rage he turned the 'molecule mutilator' towards Danny, the device warming up.

“WAIT!” Danny pleaded, voice shaking. “Wait, you're right, you're right!” Jack lowered the device, staring at Danny quizzically. “You're son is dead,” Danny went on, breathing slowly returning to a normal pace. “He and Elizabeth- they're gone.”

“And it's your fault!” Danny yelped and turned his head as the molecule mutilator was once again thrust into his face.

“It's not! I would never kill someone innocent!” He cautiously cracked an eye open to look at his father. “You're son, was insanely brave, and a good friend of mine.”

I looked at Robin with confusion, but he was clearly just as lost as I was- everyone was.

“He risked a lot to help me and my partner. He and Elizabeth... they worked together to help me and The Star of Amity Park keep this town safe.”

“Lies!” Maddie hissed. “Sam and Tucker told us everything- told us how you took over their bodies- you disgusting ghost scum!”

Danny gulped. “T-that was a lie. Those kids didn't want you to find out they were _helping_ ghosts- they knew you wouldn't approve. S-so when Sam and Tucker found out, they lied and said that they _were_ ghosts, in the hopes that it would help you accept my partner and I as friends, instead of enemies.” He paused. “Clearly, that didn't happen.”

“They... they were never possessed?”

“The closest they got to a ghost was when we would meet them so they could help us. They would bring us your technology and any other information they thought could be helpful. Li- Star and I took special care to try and protect them.”

“You said they're gone!” Jack snapped. “What happened to them? What did you do to them?”

Danny dropped his eyes. “Star and I... we didn't do anything except fail them. We were stuck in the ghost zone and they... well, Daniel and Elizabeth were framed as being half ghost. Taken by the guys in white.”

Maddie paled. “Oh God. Oh Jack, oh no.” She sat down hard in a chair. “That day- we sent them away- oh God.”

“I'm sure he doesn't- wouldn't blame you.” said Danny. “Neither of them would. There are a lot of people who are at fault, but not you two.”

“We thought they killed our children...” Maddie muttered. “We were told that we were saving lives. But all we did was- oh God, my poor Danny, my poor poor boy!”

Jack took a long sad look at his wife, before spinning back to the ghost. “How do we know you're telling the truth, huh? How do we know you aren't just lying to try and appeal to our humanity?”

“Look it up.” Danny's chest rose and fell a little quicker. “As two of the worlds leading experts in ghosts, I'm sure you have access to the Guys in White mainframe. Three years ago you'll find death statements for Daniel and Elizabeth.”

Jack looked suspicious, but turned his back and typed furiously into the computer anyways. Jazz stared at her brother with wide eyes as he did, but Danny wouldn't look at her. “It's true...” Jack muttered. “It's right there. April 16th\- Daniel Fenton and Elizabeth masters confirmed dead at 9:43 pm.” He sat back, a hand covering his mouth. “Oh God. Oh Danny.”

“We killed our son...” Maddie whimpered. “It's all our fault, we killed Danny!”

“It isn't your fault.” Danny said. “There are a lot of people to blame- not you. Like you said, you were acting under false pretenses. I know that your son would forgive if he'd known.” The sincerity in Danny's voice was so real, I knew what he was really saying. He'd forgiven his parents. Or at least, now he understood.

“Why would you come back here?” Maddie sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “WHY WOULD YOU COME BACK?” She lunged forward, anger in her eyes. “To make us suffer? To tell us how we killed our son? We've spent years accepting that he was you- that he was an abomination that needed to be stopped! Now you come here- WHY SHOULDN'T I KILL YOU RIGHT NOW?”

“BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE!” Danny cried, trying to become smaller on the table. “That isn't why I came here! I came back because Danny and Liz aren't the only friends I've lost because of the guys in white. They killed my partner, too. I'm here to stop them from ever hurting anyone ever again! But... I need your ghost portal to do it!”

“The portal?” Maddie took a shaky breath. “Why do you need that?”

“Because the ghost that killed my partner, and the one that helped kill you kid, is in the ghost zone. And we can't get to him without a portal.” Silence. “Listen,” Danny looked his mother dead on. “I know you think we're evil, and I know you have no reason to trust ghosts. So I won't ask you to trust me. But hear me out. I'm not evil, and I'm so sorry for what happened to your son. I know it's hard for you, hearing all this information, and I know how guilty you feel right now. It hurts. But your son once trusted me with his life; I failed him and Elizabeth. All I want is to put an end to those who killed him, and trust me or not, I hope you'll help me. For Danny.”

Maddie and Jack stayed silent for a long time. Jazz walked over and put a hand on her brother's shoulder. “Remember how I told you there was more to the story?” She whispered. “Well, now you know the truth. Danny's death is on your hands- the least you can do is help make it right.”

“For Danny.” Maddie agreed.

“For Danny.” Jack pressed a few buttons and the bonds keeping Danny to the table released. The ghost boy fell to the floor, scrambling to his feet before running over and beginning to untie the rest of us.

“Let me make this clear, ghost.” Jack said as I rubbed my wrists. “I don't trust you for a second. This is for my son and his friend- that's it. If I ever see you again I'll rip you apart mole-”

“-Molecule by molecule.” Danny finished. “Deal.”

As soon as Leon was free, he latched on to Danny's arm, burying his face in his chest, probably so the rest of us couldn't see that he was crying. “I thought they were going to kill you...” The blue haired ghost sobbed.

“Me too,” Danny said with a weak laugh.

As Jack and Maddie discussed how to fire up the portal after so many years, Jazz walked up to us. “Danny?” She asked timidly.

Danny gave her a long look, seemingly trying to make up his mind, before he rushed forward and hugged her tightly. “Hey, sis.” He muttered with a shaking voice.

“Oh my God, Danny.” Jazz ran her hands over her little brothers face, a smile on her lips. “It's you, it's really you! I can't believe it- I thought I'd never see you again!”

“Can't get ride of your pain in the ass little brother that easily.” Danny joked, not letting go of his older sister.

“You can be a pain in my ass all you want,” Jazz laughed. “Just never die again!”

“Don't tell Jack and Maddie, ok?” Danny whispered in her ear. “I just... I can't-”

“I understand. I can hardly stand to look at them, but I didn't think they could handle loosing both their kids.” She pulled away and looked at her brothers face again. “I just can't believe it's you! You're going to start calling and texting me everyday- I don't care how lame it is.”

Dani-with-an-i cocked her head to the side. “I thought this town had weird blocks on all that kind of stuff?”

“It does. But I have my ways.” Jazz winked. “I don't want to let you go. I missed you so much Danny, you have no idea!”

Danny smiled, hugging Jazz closer. “I missed you too.”

Suddenly the two pulled away as Maddie and Jack walked over. “The portal is ready to go.” Maddie said, her eyes still brimming with tears. “And you can take the specter speeder since your jet is totaled.”

Danny nodded. “Thanks mo- Maddie. It means a lot.”

“Just fine the jerk who did this to my son.” She said coldly.

The eight of us settled into the small specter speeder jet, Cyborg grumbling about how he had to sit shotgun instead of steering.

“I'll talk to you soon.” Jazz whispered to her brother and she slipped him a piece of paper with her number on it. Danny smiled at her, once again pulling her in for a quick hug.

“Goodbye.” Jack said briskly, turning his back and digging a spoon into a box labeled fudge. Danny looked like he wanted to say something, but instead just turned away as well. However, as we took off into the infinite green swirls of the ghost zone, I saw Danny look behind him out the window and whisper under his breath “Goodbye...”


	33. Hush little Danny- Danny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THERE IS SOME GORE HERE AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THERE IS A COOKIE SYMBOL WHERE IT STARTS! YOU CAN SKIP OVER IT AND I HAVE A SUMMERY AT THE END TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MISSED!

Chapter 33 Danny

Yeah so I lied to Jack and Maddie. Like, a lot. But I had my reasons ok? I mean first of all, they were ready to _kill_ me, so there was that. But also, I didn't want them trying to become part of my life again. It's hard enough loosing your parents when your 15 because they turn you over to a government agency bent on making your life a living hell; getting over it and accepting that you don't need parents is even harder! Having them think their child is dead... makes things easier. I didn't need them in my life, and they didn't need me in theirs.

"So, this is the ghost zone, huh?" Cyborg looked around with wide eyes, an awed smile on his face. "It's beautiful."

"And dangerous." I said. It felt weird being behind the wheel of the specter speeder, driving through the ghost zone. I could almost hear Sam and Tucker arguing in the back seat.

"So, where are we going?" Raven wanted to know.

"To see Clockwork." I turned the speeder, instincts taking over as muscle memory kicked in. The ghost zone looked so different, yet just the same as it had last time I was there. A few of the floating doors were new or changed, and some of the ghost lairs I recognized had changed. Skulkers island had a huge stage built on it.

"He and Ember finally tied the knot." Dani explained. I laughed and gazed at the island. My heart hurt thinking of the metal man calling me 'welp'. I almost wanted to land and say hi to him and his new wife. But I didn't.

In the back seats, Robin took stock of any injuries anyone had received in the crash. Starfire had serious seat belt burn on her collarbone and stomach, Raven had a small piece of glass wedged in her thigh, Beast Boy and Leon were pretty banged up in general, and Dani had cut her forearm. He himself looked kind of sore- I noticed the way he was subtly keeping his weight on one leg.

"What about you Cyborg? Danny? You guys ok?"

Cyborg pounded a fist on his metal chest, a smirk on his face. "Half machine dude- I'm all good!" Robin eyed him, but decided that if anything was wrong with Cyborg, it could wait until we got back home.

"Danny?"

"I'm fine." Mostly. My ankle was throbbing, my wrists, hips, thighs, and calves hurt from being strapped to the table, and my emotions were screwed beyond imagine, but what else was new?"

Starfire walked up to me. "Friend Danny, your wrists are quite red- are you sure you are alright?"

"I'm good Starfire, thanks."

"You were struggling very much; did the table hurt you?"

"I'm fine- ow." Starfire seized my wrist, pulling my sleeve up so she could see better. I flinched as her fingers traced the area where my skin had been rubbed raw.

"They are already beginning to do the bruising." She commented.

"It means they're healing." She pulled me out of my seat with her super alien strength. "Friend Cyborg, please take over as pilot of this flight." Cyborg grinned excitedly, scooting over.

"BOO YAY! This thing is _awesome!_ " He exclaimed.

Robin watched silently as Starfire sat me down next to her, and inspected my 'table wounds', as she called them.

"The bones of your hip are beginning to do the bruising as well." It didn't surprise me. The bands on the table had been metal, and they had been tight. In my struggle to get out of them, they'd probably rubbed all of my skin to the point of bruises.

"I'm fine Star, really. They don't hurt that bad."

The alien grabbed both of my hands, and lifted my wrists to her lips, one at a time. "Does the kisses make the table wounds better?"

I smiled at her. "Very much so. They're all better now- I can't even feel them. Thanks, Starfire."

She beamed and sat back as I reclaimed my spot in the drivers seat, much to Cyborgs disappointment.

"Blueberry, perhaps my kisses could fix your ailments as well!" She said excitedly. Leon laughed, but suddenly, he went quiet.

"Danny, what the hell is that?"

I was about to correct his language, until I saw what he was pointing at. It was Clockworks island, but it was in shambles. Windows were broken, the giant clock face was broken, parts of the walls had been blown up, and his bell was stuck, unmoving.

"I take it that's not normal?" BB questioned.

"No," Dani said. "It's not.

We landed and ran into the building, looking around at the wreckage that used to be Clockworks home.

"Clockwork?" Dani yelled. "Clockwork where are you?"

Leon grasped my arm as we ventured further into the tower, looking for the time ghost. Everything around us had been destroyed- pictures burned, walls decimated, clock faces warped and deformed. There was an eerie silence, and I realized just how empty the place sounded without the constant ticking of clocks.

"What's over there?" Raven asked. In the middle of all the debris, a pale spotlight shown through the darkness. It illuminated an old record player, a record next to it with a note that said 'play me' taped to it.

"That's gotta be a trap." Robin warned.

"What if it's from Clockwork?" I put the record in the player and started the needle. The first sound it made was terrible- just horrified, static filled screams. Then, two seconds later, a woman began to sing.

_Hush little Danny don't say a word,_

_You'll fly away just like a bird,_

Somewhere in the tower, gears began to turn. The Titan circled around me and the record player, bracing themselves for a fight.

_But your birdie wings are clipped,_

_The muscles and feathers all got snipped,_

_So little Danny you're gonna fall,_

_Once was big and now is small,_

Out of nowhere, a sword fell from the ceiling. Robin grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way just in time to avoid having my head cut off.

"Run!" He shouted, pushing me and the titans away as more and more weapons began to rain from the sky.

"It's one of Clockworks booby-traps!" Dani squeaked, rolling to avoid having a mace impale her skull. Even as we ran away from the record player and the trap, the song could be heard.

_And if that act just won't do,_

_I have a surprise for you,_

The time orbs flickered to life as we ran down the hall. As we passed them, they would show pictures of me, at my worst points in life; crying, sobbing, hiding in the tower away from the Titans.

_You're already dead inside,_

_Where you curl up and hide,_

_No one loves you; you're all alone,_

_Useless lump of flesh and bone,_

_And little Danny didn't you say,_

_You wished it all would go away,_

_"_ Crap- dead end!" Cyborg panted. We were in the main tower area of the building, the bell 100 stories above our heads. The hall we had run through was blocked as weapons continued to rain down in a seemingly endless supply. Gears still turned, and time orbs still replayed my worst moments. And the damn song _just kept going_.

_I'm the star you wished upon,_

A light turned on from the bell above, shining down on us. I squinted, trying to see where it was coming from, but it was too bright.

_Soon the pain will all be gone,_

_So hush little Danny don't you cry,_

Something began to fall from the bell. Cyborg tackled everyone to move them out of it's path.

Lizzie's _gonna hold you while you die._

The bell swung and rang, loud, body vibrating _BONG, BONG, BONG's._ I sat up in time for Dani to scream at the top of her lungs. There were two dead bodies in front of us- bodies I never thought I'd see again.

(::) (Gore starts here, skip if you don't like that)

Dan and Angel. The dark duo was dead, lying in front of me.

"Holy crap- that's disgusting," Beast boy gagged, turning his head away.

It was pretty disgusting. There were as close to being naked as they could get without actually exposing anything to us. Dan's throat was slit open, his red eyes still open and staring into nothing. The words 'you're next' had been gruesomely carved into his chest, deep enough and wide enough that you could actually see his organs and bones. 'Hush Danny", and "Don't cry Danny" were cut into his arms and legs, over and over again; some wounds were still oozing his sickly green ectoplasmic blood.

Dan's hair was no longer aflame- it had turned to regular old white hair, and it was matted with blood and other bodily fluids. His forked tongue hung out of the side of his mouth limply, and his fangs had been pulled out of his mouth. I noticed that whoever had removed them had lodged them in his neck. The Danny Phantom logo he used to wear was in his hand, torn to shreds.

"D- Daniel?"

I nearly shrieked as a cold hand wrapped around my ankle. I looked down to see Angel there, her eyes on me.

"What happened?" I dropped to my knees, holding her head up so she could speak easier.

"T-they came. I n-ever thought-" She stopped and spit up blood. "I never thought I'd see them."

"Who?" I pressed. "Who did this to you? Where's Clockwork? Angel, what happened?"

"Liz-"

"I thought you preferred to be called-"

"Find her." Angel cut me off. She pushed her black hair out of her face and I realized that her eye had been gorged out of her head. I fought the urge to vomit. "K-kill her."

I froze. "Wait- do you mean Liz is alive? Angel, was she here?"

Angel grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me closer to her, until our foreheads were almost touching. "Kill me," She pleaded. "Kill them all. It- it's up to yo-" She convulsed, agony powered spasms wracking her body.

"Angel, who did this to you?" She was dying. It was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. It was like Liz was dying in my arms all over again- technically she _was_. Angel stayed silent, and for a moment, I thought she _had_ died, but then she beckoned me closer, her lips brushing against my ear.

"Patrick."

I furrowed my brows. "Angel, what does that mean? Who is that?"

But she wasn't looking at me anymore. She looked at Dan, his body mangled and cut up, and sobbed, blood running down the side of her face where her eye was missing. Another painful spam shook her, and she let out a haunting wail; one full of heartbreak of pain. With her last ounce of strength, she reached out and grabbed Dan's hand. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, her final breath left her. She died holding hands with Dan, her eye on him, and him alone.

In all the panic, I hadn't seen what shape her body was in. Not only was her eye missing, but she was just was carved up as Dan was. Her stomach had the sentence 'making the right choice' carved so deep, her hand was there to literally keep her guts from falling out. Like Dan, she had lyrics from the twisted lullaby on her arms and legs, excepts hers read 'The star you wished upon' and ' Lizzie's gonna hold you while you die'. Almost as an after thought, I realized that she wasn't wearing her necklace as she should have been.

I couldn't help it; the scene was so repulsive, I turned and throw up. Leon and Starfire were crying together a little ways away, Cyborg sitting so that he purposefully blocked their view of the bodies. Beast boy was sitting in silence, his eyes wide, staring at the wall. Raven and Robin were inspecting the bodies calmly, as if it didn't phase them at all that my future self had been brutally murdered.

(::) Gore is over now

As my stomach cramped, I felt a body wrap around mine. "Oh my God." Dani whispered. "Oh my God I don't even, I can't, what even is-" She hugged me tighter, rubbing my back as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Someone wanted us- or at least Danny- to find this." Raven said sullenly.

"How'd they know we'd come here?" Beast boy asked faintly.

"Dunno," Robin said, bending down to close the eyes of the deceased. "But I suggest we leave. Danny, any other ghosts you can think of who might know anything?"

I nodded and mutely, we piled into the specter speeder. Leon and Starfire were still crying, and Cyborg dedicated himself to trying to calm them down. Beast Boy just seemed stunned beyond words.

"You ok?" Robin asked, sitting next to me.

"They died holding hands."

"Yeah. They loved each other."

"They died in agony."

Robin stayed quiet, settling for just putting a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find out what happened to them," he promised. "We'll find out who did it, and we'll make them pay."

"They were evil." I said. "They were the most evil people I've ever met in my entire life. Killing without mercy, murdering for fun. They don't- _didn't_ even technically exist in any time line."

"What are you saying?"

"He was still me. And she was still Liz. For everything they are- _were_ , they were still us. Very evil, very cruel, very scary versions of us, but still us. In weird ways, there was this... understanding the four of us had. Almost a friendship. That we were all the same people, yet completely different. Liz and I were good, Dan and Angel were evil. Pure, complete evil."

"Do you think they deserved this?" Robin wanted to know.

Our eyes locked. "No. I don't think they deserved that at all. They may have been evil, but they had lives, they were still people. They still had feelings. And something about how Angel wanted to die holding Dan's hand, it... I don't know. But I'm never going to be able to un-see that."

Robin patted my arm. "None of us will. But we will find who did it, and we will stop them."

And so we drove on, leaving the future dead behind us, on a quest to save the present.

**SO BASICALLY IF YOU SKIPPED THE GORE THAN YOU MISSED THE TEAM SEEING THE DARK DUO BEING CARVED UP WITH LYRICS FROM THE LULLUBY. GROSS I KNOW SORRY. AND ANGEL TALKED TO DANNY A LITTLE. THATS ALL!**


	34. Blood tracing- Raven

Chapter 34 Raven

The speeder was silent, expect for the sound of Leon and Starfire's sobs. Cyborg was talking to them in hushed tones, but it didn't seem to be doing much good. I could only imagine the sleepless and nightmare filled nights that were sure to plague the tower for the next lifetime. Even Beast Boy had been silenced, which was possibly the most worrying.

“I'm ok.” He said, as if he was reading my mind.

“You sure? Cause you've hardly said anything-”

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and sighed. “Rephrased; I _will_ be fine. Eventually. But that was creepier than any video game or horror movie I've ever seen. I never want to see anything like that again. Ever.”

“Imagine how the ghosts feel.” I pointed out. Dani was in a window seat, far away from everyone else, knees drawn to her chest, gazing out the window with scared eyes. “That mint guy was _Danny_ remember. He literally just saw himself dead.”

“I can hear you.” Danny snapped. “Thanks for the lovely description.”

BB cracked a small grin at Danny's sarcasm, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“ Where are we going?” Cyborg wanted to know. 

Danny glared at him. 

“Or, ya know, I'll just trust you, and not ask questions. I'll shut up now.”

Dani stood up and walked towards her clone. “No, we trusted him last time, and look what happened. We walked into a trap. Where are we going Danny?” Her voice bordered on Hysteria. 

“Hogwarts.”

“Danny.”

“Narnia.”

“Danny!”

“Camp Half-Blood.”

“DANIEL JAMES FENTON!” Dani stomped her foot and slammed her hands on the control panel so hard, the ship shook. “I just witnessed you die- do you not understand that? Of all the things to witness, that's #1 on the list of crappy things. You have been acting irrational ever since you found that letter. And if you don't start explaining, I  _will_ knock you out and turn this ship around, so help me God.” 

Danny looked at her for a long time before sighing. “We're going to see Desiree. She made Liz's charm- maybe she has some answers.”

“ Do you think that's a good idea?” BB questioned. “I mean, we thought Clockwork would have answers too, didn't we? But so did whoever set that trap. Maybe we should just go home or look,  like, somewhere else for the Clock dude.”

“Wow,” I gave Beast Boy an approving look. “You actually said something intelligent for once.”

The green kid glared at me, but didn't say anything else.

“He has a point.” Robin agreed. “We could be walking into another trap- the last one was deadly enough. Maybe we should go-”

“No.” Leon said quietly. 

Danny turned to look at him. “Leon-”

“We need to know. Either she's there and has answers, or it's another trap and we get more evidence that someone has a vicious agenda against us. I mean, going after Clockwork makes sense- he openly helped you all the time. Desiree? She tried to kill you twice and almost succeeded once. If someone went after her then it would mean that they know what we know, which would narrow down our list of suspects- or at least give us a place to start.”

Dani sighed and twisted her beanie in her hands. “If I see another dead body, someone is gonna have to take me to see the new Captain America movie for three days straight. Is that clear?”

Danny smirked. “Deal.”

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

Desiree's island thing was pretty nice- or would have been if it wasn't trashed. I imagined that when it looked like it was supposed to, it looked like Jasmine's garden from the movie Aladdin- but with a few mountains and a little mini castle thing that I assumed the ghost slept in. 

However, the way it was now, the grass was fried and still on fire in some places, the hedges were broken and barren, and the water sculpture was tipped over and spraying erratically.

Robin knelt on the ground, inspecting it. “These same knife marks were at Clockworks tower, and used to deform the plaque at home.”

“So the same person is doing this?” I asked. 

Robin nodded. 

“ Danny, didn't you say you knew him? From a dream or something?”

“Nightmare,” he corrected. “But yeah. His name was...” His eyes went wide. “Patrick. I didn't even remember that, but what Angel said- I'm sure that was his name!”

“So some guy appears in your dream, then on a security camera, and now might be going to all the places we were planning on going?” Leon clarified. “This is creeping you guys out too, right?”

Before anyone else could answer, there was a  small gasp from behind us. “No more!” A voice pleaded. “You have already destroyed so much! Just- no more!” 

Danny turned around, recognition flashing in his eyes. “Desiree?”

Behind us was a genie. Like, no joke. Her black hair was in a high pony tail, gold chains dangling with it. Her crop top was orange with pink embroidered patterns around it. Gold bracelets decorated her wrists, and a belt with those decorative coin things hung off her hips. Her skirt thing was orange as well with a pink sash falling off to one side; she didn't have legs and instead she just sort of ended in a weird mist.

The ghost's red eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. “Well, if it isn't Danny Phantom. You look different.”

Danny smirked. “You do too. I like the orange- it brings out your eyes.

Desiree look at the rest of us. “Who are they?”

“Friends.”

She rolled her eyes. “Lovely. Well, as you can see, I can't exactly entertain guests at this moment, so if you don't mind-”

“ Who did this?” Robin cut her off. 

Desiree looked at him. “You're that bat's kid, right? Di-”

“Robin.” He said, his hands clenching. “I don't know how you know that but-”

Desiree rolled her eyes. “I'm a ghost of wishes- I hear almost every wish any person makes. I'm not always there to grant it because quiet frankly I just don't care, but I hear them. And a lot of requests are put in about you.” She waved a hand at the whole team. “All of you, actually. People have strong opinions of you.”

Leon kicked at the ground. “You sounded scared a second ago,” he said. “When you were begging us to stop.”

“I do  _not_ beg!” The ghost cried in disgust. “I was merely stating-”

“Who did this?” Danny cut her off, eyes hard. 

Again, Desiree went quiet. Finally, after a long pause she said, “You've grown up Daniel. Not quite the wimpy child I remember, are you?”

“I actually called for you a few times.” He replied. “You know, while being tortured. Shouting out that I wanted to make a wish.”

“I heard you.”

“Still didn't come though. I mean I guess I can't blame you- I foiled your evil plans and all, but still.”

“That's not why I didn't come.” The ghost of wishes pulled at her pony tail. “Believe me, I would have loved to show up and here you beg for me to grant you a wish. But on top of the fact that you were in an anti-ghost facility, I couldn't.”

“Couldn't, or wouldn't?”

“Couldn't. There are a lot of things you don't understand Daniel. You and Liz-” Suddenly Desiree's eye's widened and she glanced at the group of people around her. “Liz isn't here? Where is she?”

“She's dead.” I told her.

Desiree scoffed. “That's impossible, I assure you.”

“No,” said Cyborg. “It's really not.”

“I know about her necklace,” Danny held up the letter Liz had left him. “ I know about all the power you gaze it- the price it cost her dad.”

“Then you know she's not dead.”

Robin crossed her arms. “She died back in April. If she were alive, don't you think we'd know it?”

Danny punched him. “That's the  _point_ .” He turned to Desiree. “We don't know... Anything. She's seemed dead for this long but now there are some things happening and-”

Desiree held up her hand. “I sense a long story up ahead. Come inside.”

I expected her to lead us to her little mini castle thing (which would have been awkward since there is  _no way_ we all would fit in there), but instead, she brought us to one of the mountains. With a wave of her hand the side of the mountain opened, and she ushered us inside.

“Clockwork!” Dani-with-an-i screeched, running across the small room we were in. On a cot lay Clockwork, cloak off, unmoving. 

“What did you do to him, witch?” Dani accused, spinning to Desiree. Instead of getting mad, the ghost simply frowned. “He came to me, barely conscious. Then 20 minutes later my home was destroyed.”

“We just came from Mr. Clockworks home.” Starfire said. “It was a less than pleasant sight.”

“Dan and Angel are dead.” Danny muttered. Desiree's eyes widened. 

“That- that shouldn't be... how do you know?”

“They were carved up, like they still had human bodies or something.” Danny explained. “There were  _bodies_ .”

“ Nothing in existence should be able to do that!” Desiree protested. 

“I know.” Danny sat down with her. “Let me explain what happened- maybe we can figure this mess out together.” The ghost nodded and went mute as Danny explained how Liz had been shot, and we hadn't been able to cure her. As he did, Dani-with-an-i dropped to her knees by Clockwork's bed, grasping his hand.

“This is insanity.” Leon said, turning away from his fellow clone. “I know you guys don't know much about ghost's and how we work, but this is just... impossible.”

Starfire patted he shoulder and he turned to hug her, his body trembling. Cyborg sat on the ground while Robin paced around the room. 

“Ghosts don't die like humans.” Leon said, careful not to be too loud. Danny was still explaining our situation to Desiree. “ They just don't leave bodies. Ever. And you can't cut a ghost- present company is the exception. Ghosts don't have the physical capabilities to be carved up like that!”

Cyborg scratched the back on his neck. “Then how does ghost anatomy work?”

Leon scoffed. “No clue. I just know that it  _doesn't_ do those things. Clockwork would be able to explain but...”

“What's wrong with him?” Dani all but sobbed. “I've never seen him like this!”

Desiree turned to look at her. “I'm not sure. But this is a very strange situation indeed.”

“Could the magic on her necklace, like, worn off or something?” BB asked. Desiree glared at him. “I have been practicing my art for thousands of years- it would  _not_ fail!” She paused. “That being said, Liz should have been in the ghost zone, healed, and sent home. Which begs the question-”

“What actually happened to her.” Robin finished. 

She nodded. “Appearing in dreams and storms, and truly talking to Daniel is... strange. Only few ghosts can control and enter dreams. But appearing in storms? That's just... I'm at a loss.”

“Only lightning.” Said Danny. “It would only happen when there was lightning in the storm.”

Robin contorted into his thinking position, hand on chin, forehead crinkled. “She has electricity powers. Maybe that has something to do with it?”

Desiree crossed her arms. “It is irreverent. Our first matter of business should be to determine if she is alive at all- either in this world or yours.  Once that's taken care of we can work out if what you've seen is her, or something else completely.”

She walked over and grabbed a book off the floor. “I was not able to save much when I was attacked,” she leafed through the pages. “But my most important books and tools are here.” She smiled and jabbed the page with her finger. 

Desiree shoved the book into my hands as she floated past me, picking up what looked like an old scroll, and a crystal ball with a sharp needle on the top.

“Is that the infinity-map?” Dani questioned. “When did you get that?”

“It's a copy- still very powerful, but in different ways.” Desiree grabbed Leon and Dani-with-an-i by the arm, dragging them towards the tools. “This map specializes in finding people- made my a very romantic ghost once upon a time. It won't  _take_ you anywhere, but it can show you where people are.”

Danny's face lit up. “That's amazing! How does it work?”

“Too many ways to explain. But let's just say we have a special advantage that will make our job much,  _much_ easier.”

BB cocked his head to the side. “Which is-?”

“Them.” Desiree grabbed one of the clones hands in each of her own, pricking first Leon's finger on the needle, then Dani's. 

“What was that!?” Leon yelped, yanking his hand away. “Am I cursed now? Was that even  _sanitary?_ Oh God, is this going to be a sleeping beauty situation where I fall into a deep slumber? Because if it is I'm saying right now that I'd rather sleep forever than have someone kiss me!”

“Relax.” Desiree snapped, looking intensely at the ball as the blood from the needle dripped down the sides. An image of both the clones appeared in the glass and she frowned. Waving her hands, Desiree whispered a few words in a language that even I didn't know and slowly, the image began to change. By the time she was done, Liz was looking back at us. 

“Perfect.” The ghost grinned. “tracking down people is hard to do- it usually requires items of significance and many other unpleasant ingredients. But blood tracing? It's the most accurate way to do this.”

“They both have traces of her DNA,” Robin concluded. Desiree nodded. 

We all watched as once again, Desiree whispered more words to the map and the globe. She tied a piece of purple thread around the needle, and left the rest of it coiled by the map.

Slowly, the thread began to move on it's own,  slithering across the map. However, it didn't get very far before it began to try to move everywhere at once, zipping from one place to the other in seconds.

“What is the string doing?” Starfire inquired. 

“Something it shouldn't be...” Desiree furrowed her eyebrows, waving her hands to try and calm the string down. It only move faster. A few more seconds of moving and the string caught fire out of nowhere, sending everyone jumping back. Dani gave us a demonstration of her water powers, pulling a handful of water out of nowhere and putting the flames out.

“What does that mean?” Danny asked, staring at the globe and scorched map in front of him. 

Desiree blinked herself out of her silence and looked at him. “Well-”

“Is she alive or dead?”

“I... it means she's everywhere... and nowhere...” she shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea what it means. Even tracking dead ghosts gives you  _something_ \- and it's not a flaming thread.”

Suddenly, the image of Liz in the globe moved, turning her head to Danny. The image winked and blew a kiss his way before she laughed, and exploded in a burst of purple sparkles. 

“I take it that's not normal?” Cyborg concluded. Desiree looked like she was going to faint. Mutely, she shook her head. 

Robin put a hand on Danny's shoulder, looking into his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah, I mean I'm confused but...” his voice trailed off as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

“What?” Robin looked worried. “What is it.”

Danny pulled a shaking hand out of his pocket, fist clothes tightly around something. The color drained from his face as he opened his hand. In his palm, was Liz's star charm. 

“I- I didn't have this- that wasn't here before- I don't-” he stuttered, staring at the charm with wide eyes. 

Desiree lunged forward and grabbed it, turning it this way and that as she inspected it. 

“It's hers.” She confirmed. “It's genuinely hers- the age, the wear, and everything confirms it.”

“How is it here?” Beast boy cried. “Like, where did it even come from?”

Desiree shrugged helplessly. “All the magic I gave it is still fully intact- by all laws of nature it should be on her neck, not leaving her body.”

“ Then how is it here?” Cyborg asked. Desiree looked at it long and hard, the smiled wide; almost evilly. 

“It doesn't matter how it got here,” she said. “Because now, it's going to take us to her.”

My breath caught in my throat. “What?”

Desiree tossed the charm in the air like a coin, a hand on her hip. “I know how we can bring Liz to us. C'mon,” she herded us out of her makeshift home. “We need a lightning storm.” 


	35. Don't let me be Gone- Danny

**OKAY OH MY GOD STORY TIME AS TO WHY THIS HAS TAKEN FRICKIN MONTHS TO UPLOAD MOTHER OF GOD YOU ALL DESERVE TO SMACK ME (but please don't)  
**

**So here's the list of excuses I wish I had**

***I was in a movie**

***I was kidnapped by ninjas in a case of mistaken identity**

***My life suddenly got awesome**

**List of excuses I ACTUALLY have (cause they're true)**

***I had writers block**

***I had writers block for so long i thought i had actually posted this chapter**

***Internet**

**Yeah that's literally it. I can't put into words how sorry I am, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. I have spent four hours writing it. I love it. It finally captures what i wanted this final chapter to me. And yes, this is the final chapter. And I just love it so much. I don't think it's emotional in the same way as FFTGOY was, but DAMN i think it gets a little emotional there. Anyways hope you guys love it too!**

**Also, I need to take a moment to thank you all for being here, for reading this, for being amazing. There's no point in doing this if no one reads it. Well it is, but its not as fun. You guys are the reason I do this and I just can't thank you enough for how much you inspire me. I love each and every one of you!**

Chapter 16 Danny

Something was wrong. The plan was dangerous, we all had known that going in. But this was chaos. I was laying in the middle of a vortex of wind, lightning and snow wondering what would kill me first- the freezing cold temperatures, or the insanity.

Shadows dances on the walls on the vortex, reaching out, fighting each other; demons with long fangs and talons, children crying, people running.

 _"You lied to us!"_ A voice cut through the wind. " _You're killing him!"_

 _"Get him back."_ A different, tearful voice reached my ears. I could just make out the words through the storm around me; just enough to understand the words, not enough to tell who was speaking. _"This isn't worth it. Bring him back."_

 _Back where?_ I wondered. It seemed much easier to lie here forever, floating in the middle of this beautiful chaos.

"Danny," Raven's voice rang clearly in my mind. "Danny, it's time to come back. This isn't working. Focus on my voice, follow it back here."

The shadows all seemed to turn to me, reaching for me, grabbing for any part of me as I remembered what I was doing.

"But I haven't-"

"I know." Raven sighed. "I know. But it's too dangerous. We need you to come back. We can't loose both you in there okay? It's time to let her go."

My eyes traveled around the walls of the vortex, at all the shadows reaching out desperately, praying I would reach back, that I would accept them and set them free from this hell. But they weren't who I wanted. They couldn't be saved. I closed my eyes, ready to let Raven lead my mind home. But then I opened them again. I don't know why.

And then I saw them. Two shadows that _weren't_ fighting to make their way towards me. They were exactly where I had been warned not to go- the top of the twister, the point of no return.

I heard Raven yelling at me. I heard all the other voices too. But It didn't matter. I had one thing on my mind, and it lifted me higher and higher, past the hollow screams of the shadows, that let me pass through the lightning bolts and not get tossed around by the wind.

"Danny!" Raven screamed. "Danny, don't do this! Say something, please!"

"Hey Raven," I heard her breath catch in my head. I looked around at the vortex, at all the shadows, and at the storm. "Merry Christmas."

The next snowflake that fell landed and melted on my palm, and my last hold on reality faded.

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

**TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS**

Everyone was uncharacteristic silent as Desiree ran around her cave, pulling random books off shelves, skimming their covers, and then tossing them to the floor in frustration.

"Any idea what her plan is?" Raven asked quietly, sitting next to me on the floor.

"Nope."

Dani was kneeling by Clockwork's bed, drawing figure 8's in the blanket with her nails. "Do you think he'll be alright?" She asked.

Leon yawned, stretching out on the ground. "He always is."

Dani sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Beast boy looked at the grim looks on everyone's face and scowled. "Topic change!" He declared. "What does everyone want for Christmas?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Besides Raven." BB corrected himself.

I looked at her. "I don't celebrate Christmas." She explained. "Interdenominational demon spawn, remember? We have our own holidays."

"Well I for one love the time of Merry!" Starfire grinned. "And the love of my friends is all the I desire!"

Cyborg leaned down and whispered in my ear, "That means shoes. She wants shoes."

"I want a punching bag in my room." Robin said. "All the bags in the gym are either dead, or close to it- it'd be nice to not have to share with moody, super strong teenagers."

"VIDEO GAMES!" BB yelled excitedly. "And new head phones, and video games, did I mention video games?"

Dani snickered. "Gee Beast Boy, why don't you tell us what you want for Christmas?"

"Found it!" Desiree held a book up in victory. "We can leave now."

Dani and Desiree got in a fight about what to do about Clockwork, Dani saying that he couldn't be left in the cave, and Desiree arguing it was the safest place for him as there was nothing more anyone could do for him. Unhappily, Dani left him, after calling Desiree some less than nice names.

Desiree lead us out of the ghost zone by finding a door closer to Jump city, not wanting to risk flying through Amity Park. It was near 3 AM, so I let a very giddy Cyborg fly the speeder.

"Danny?" Leon said sleepily as we exited the ghost zone and came out above California. "Do you think Desiree can get Liz back?"

I looked down at the kid, who was falling asleep on my shoulder. His half closed green eyes were trained on Desiree as she floated above everyone's heads, her nose buried in the book she'd brought with her.

"I dunno kid." I admitted. "But I hope so."

Leon nodded. "Me too. Cause all I want for Christmas, is for her to be with us on New Years Eve, so you can be happy again."

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

Our Christmas tree was, in a word, epic. Desiree was, in a word, pissed.

Everyone was trying to experience the holiday season as normally as possible as super powered teenagers could; decorating the tower, putting up a tree, wrapping presents, blaring holiday songs, ect. But the mood was dampened by out very own Grinch, who was very displeased with our attempted holiday spirit.

"You need to be ready." She insisted. "I could need you at the drop of a hat- once I figure out a plan, you will need to be at my beck and call."

Dani rolled her eyes. "We can be 'at your beck and call' after we bake cookies. Leon and I have never _really_ experienced Christmas- let us enjoy this."

"Would you not enjoy it even more if Elizabeth were here?"

"I'd enjoy it a lot more if you _weren't_ here."

And so it went. I had never really liked Christmas with the whole, my parents ruining it every year thing. Then Ghost Writer kinda made one holiday okay, but then I got kidnapped and put on a most-wanted list, so yeah. Not a fan.

"Wanna get out of here?" Cyborg offered. "I still need to go shopping, and you look like you could use a break."

"Sure." I realized that I needed to go shopping too, but didn't have any money, like, at all.

"Don't sweat it," Cyborg told me, grabbing his car keys. "The city sends us a monthly check as a sort of 'thank you' for saving the city. Trust me, it more than generously covers the cost of a bunch of teenagers. And if you see something else you like, I have some extra cash from my day job."

I blinked. "Your _what_?"

"BB and I beta test video games." Cy said proudly. "We do it anonymously, but getting paid to play new games no one else has access too? Uh, yes please! If you want, I could hook you up."

Before I could answer, we rounded the corner to the garage and walked into Robin. His face was blank, almost sad, and he had a thick envelope in his hands.

"What's that?" I asked.

Before he could answer, Cyborg grabbed the hood of my jacket and dragged me away.

"He get's one every year." he explained, shoving me in the passenger seat of his car. "It's from Gotham city- and that's basically all we know about it."

"What's inside?"

"Cash."

My head cocked to the side. "Cash? Like, a $20 from his grandma or something?"

Cyborg shook his head. "More like a couple thousand, sometimes a million dollars. Sometimes the same guy sends us equipment and tech. He helps keep us funded."

"And you don't know who he is?"

"Not a clue." Cyborg chuckled. "And trust me, I've hacked every government on the planet trying to figure out who the guy is. Anytime I think I'm getting close, my screens freeze and my systems crash and this weird message appears on the screen; 'So sorry for the inconvenience, sir. But I cannot allow you to continue. Have a cheerful day!'." He snorted. "Then Robin comes in, types in a password, and it's fixed again."

I shook my head, a small smile on my lips. "Only Robin."

"Only Robin." Cyborg agreed.

Cyborg and I had only been walking the mall for about half an hour trying to figure out what we wanted to get everyone (What the _hell_ do you get a _teenage alien girl_ for Christmas?) when Cyborgs T-communicator rang. It wasn't on speaker, but I'm fairly sure everyone in the mall could hear the furious screams of my clone.

"-COMPLETELY INSANE AND I SWEAR IMA RIP HER HAIR OUT IF-"

"Dani?" Cyborg tried to step in.

"-CRAZY RIGHT? IT COULD NEVER WORK AND IF SHE THINKS-"

"Dani?" I tried.

"-AND THEN ILL PUT THAT HAND INTO A BOX, MAIL IT TO HER,-"

"DANI!" We both yelled, earning us looks from passing shoppers. "We're on our way back, alright?" We weren't sure she heard us, as she kept screaming, but we hung up anyways.

"Did you understand any of that?" I asked Cy.

"Dude, she's your clone."

My clone had anger issues.

Dani was still yelling when we got home. Robin was literally holding her up and off the ground and she tried to claw her way to Desiree, shouting the many forms of murder she would unleash when she was free.

"Thank God." Raven breathed when she saw us. "Can you please _shut her up_?"

Desiree was completely ignoring Dani, sitting on the couch and popping popcorn in her mouth as Starfire threaded it onto a string.

"You're back." She noted. "Good, they said they wouldn't put the star on the tree without you."

Dani stopped screaming for a moment, but I swear her eyes turned red. She looked at me and gestured wildly in an attempt to express her anger.

"What happened?" I asked.

Robin slowly put Dani back on the floor, giving her a warning look before turning to us. "Desiree has a plan."

"A stupid plan." Dani muttered, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"Put the star on your tree." Desiree said passively. "Then we can talk."

"Oh so NOW you care about this holiday?" Dani growled. Leon grabbed the star and shoved it in her face to distract her before she could start yelling again.

I gave Desiree a look, but she just turned her eyes to the TV, which was playing the original Rudolph the red nose reindeer.

Remember when I said our tree was epic? Yeah, I wasn't lying. Floor to 20 foot ceiling, and wrapped like a mummy in lights, tinsel, and home made popcorn strands. The branches were sagging under the weight of all the ornaments, some cheap and plastic, some expensive and glass, some home made, and candy canes. The branches and needles were frosted in fake snow that glittered in the light. And then, there was the tree topper. We referred to it as the star, not because it was star shaped, but because it was the star attraction on the tree.

It had obviously been custom made. It was a mini Titans Tower, with little flashing red and green lights poking out everywhere, and little figurines of the titans in Santa's slay on the roof. Rudolf was replaced by Beast boy the green furred reindeer.

Beast Boy surprised us by revealing that he had made little figurines of me, Dani, and Leon to add on to it, super gluing little Dani onto his reindeer's back, and fitting Leon into Santa's bag of presents. He took a little metal rod and attached the figurine of me too it, so it looked like I was flying above everyones head.

"There's just one thing missing" he said. His last figure was also on a thing metal rod- it was a purple star. He put it in front of the slay, "so it's guiding them," he explained. We all looked at the finished master piece. "Do you like it?" Beast boy asked.

"I love it." I answered.

"It's perfect," Robin told him, ruffling his hair. "Now we're all together, like we should be."

All the lights were off as Starfire crowned the tree. Everyone counted down and when we hit 0, Cyborg lit up the tree. The lights glowed to life, starting from the bottom of the tree, traveling upward. And when it reached the top, Liz's star sparkled.

The sun was setting behind the tree, the city lights just turning on, the ocean a painting of pink, red, and orange. Christmas carols played from the TV, and I had to stop for a minute and admit to myself- maybe Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

So obviously Desiree stepped in to ruin the mood.

"So, about my plan."

(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)

**ONE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS**

"So she's dead?" Beast Boy asked.

"No."

"So she's alive?"

"No!" Desiree let out an exasperated sigh. "Does he have to be here?" She whined.

I glared at her. "Don't be rude. BB and Dani are the only ones who have heard this plan of yours, and if they're confused, then they can hear it again."

"What's not to get!? It's a _very_ straight forward concept!" Everyone stared blankly at her and she sighed. "Fine, from the beginning, _again._ Elizabeth was shot and couldn't heal, correct?"

"Well, yeah, but that's because it was coated in anti-ghost properties." I said.

Desiree nodded. "Yes! Well, sorta. Cyborg, if you could do the honors of pulling up the analysis."

Cyborg gave her a look, but did so, bringing up the lab reports on the living room computer.

"You'll notice how most of the elements- anti-ghost properties if you will- were unidentified. You couldn't tell what they could do, were doing, or side effects."

Leon shrugged. "They're random things made by the Guys In White to kill ghosts. So what?"

"Well, _I_ happen to be able to know what they are- or at least what they're derived from. And thus, I know what they were doing to our dear Elizabeth." She pointed to the list of unidentified elements that had been detected in Liz's system. "That one? It slows metabolic rate. You half-ghosts already have a slower rate than humans, but a faster rate than ghosts. Thus it, for lack of a better term, screwed with her system. That one? It's Blood Blossom extract; Poison. Basically the only poison that has any effect on a ghost at all. Does anyone know what this means?"

Leon's eyes widened. "She couldn't fight off the poison because her metabolism was slowed down. It slowed down her immune system too, right?"

Desiree nodded. "Exactly! _Finally_ you're understanding this! It gave the poison the ability to pump through her blood stream. Different body functions are controlled by different parts of you, being half ghosts and half alive. The two parts work together, and can help fix each other when hurt. That's why Daniel and Liz can still get sick and hurt, but can heal faster; those functions are in the living part of them but helped by their ghost half. Elizabeth's metabolic rate slowed, so her ghost half had to take energy to focus on that. Thus, it didn't have the power or energy to properly fight off the poison that was coming from the Blood Blossom extract- it was focused on another task."

Robin folded his arms over his chest. "Is that why it took so long for her to, you know... And why she had better days than others?"

"Yes. Lots of science behind metabolism that I'm sure you learned in middle school, and much more ghost science that is too complex for you to understand. Suffice it to say that without an expert like me here, you never could have figured this out."

Dani rolled her eyes. "Tell them the rest of it so that they can hear your stupid plan."

Desiree glared at her, and pointed to the final unidentified element on the list. "Do you remember what I said that was?"

"Nana-bots." Beast Boy said.

" _Nanobots_." Cyborg corrected with a smirk.

"Oh. That makes more sense. I was imagining little old lady robots knitting sweaters and baking peanut brittle. Nanobots seems more realistic." BB paused. "Uh, what are these nanobots doing anyways?"

"Releasing chemicals." said Desiree. "Which is why you couldn't identify them- they hid themselves. The chemical they contained was a nerve stimulant. They also had the ability to send electric shocks, mimicking brain waves."

Cyborg scowled. "Ok. We've scienced the hell out of this. Woo hoo, yay for us, Bill Nye would be proud. But I still don't get it. Is she dead or not? And what does this have to do with you plan?"

"Don't you get it!" Desiree laughed at us. "This is why Elizabeth never showed up in the ghost zone! This explains where she is!"

"I don't get it." Raven dead panned.

For a moment, I thought Desiree was going to claw her own eyes out, that's how annoyed with us she looked. "The Guys and White never followed you after you escaped, right?"

I blinked. "Uh... right. But-"

"Did you never stop and think how strange that was? There's only one eexplanation! They thought they had won. They know that when ghosts die, they disappear, poof, not even a body left. No one has seen a half ghost die, so who knows if that's what happens with them or not? Keeping captives wasn't working, but someone thought to be dead can't be a captive, right? I mean, they're dead! That's what this whole thing was about! The Guys In White found a way to win."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it."

"Think about it! You all were witnessing what you thought to be the death of your friend. And when she died, while I'm sure it wasn't easy, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. The nanobots had a nerve stimulant and a memory stimulant. Elizabeth and transport herself. And she does so by thinking of the spot she wishes to go. So at the last moment, when the poison has her at her weakest, what if the nanobots stimulated her need to transport, and her memory of the Guys In White."

"You're basing this off a 'what if'?" I asked. "As in 'What if she's been at the GIW HQ this whole time'?"

"No. You forget, she has appeared in a ghost like form; dreams, in that fire, the weather, in my globe. If she were with the Guys In White, she couldn't do that. And thus I remind you of her charm."

My heart skipped a beat. "It's supposed to take her to the ghost zone for help if she's every dying..."

"And it most certainly seemed as if she was- her mind and body was weak and poisoned. That's the only way this theory could be true. The ghost zone is a different dimension. If the her charm was trying to bring her to a different dimension while the nanobots were trying to make her teleport to the Guys In White at the same time-"

"She'd be pulled across reality's." Robin guessed.

"Exactly." Desiree nodded. "Now, there are an infinite number of dimensions, it should be impossible to find her."

"Please tell me there's a 'but' coming up." Leon begged.

"But," Desiree said, earning a victory 'whoop!' from Leon. "She, or what we can only guess to be her, as shown herself to us. Which means there's only one dimension she can be in; the dimension of Lost Souls.

Cyborg blinked. "Well that sounds like a cheerful place."

Desiree frowned. "It's not to be joked about. Only a selected few know about it, Clockwork doesn't. It is where people in flux go. The aren't ghosts. I do not know if it is some religious after life, but it is the closest thing to hell I know. If Elizabeth is stuck between worlds, it is likely she is there."

BB sighed in annoyance. "So I ask again; is she dead or is she alive?"

"I don't know." Desiree admitted. "It is possible she's alive and reaching out, trying to come home, but it's just as likely that she truly died in the land of Lost Souls and all that you're seeing are remnants of her."

Starfire spoke up for the first time since the conversation had started. "How do we find out? We must know if friend Liz if alive or dead."

Dani scoffed. "This is where you hear the stupidest plan of all time. Trust me, no one will want to go through with it."

But we listened anyways. Desiree told us how she could open a portal to the land of the Lost Souls. She told us how, if Raven helped her, we could even stay in contact with the one person we decided to send through.

"They would, of course, have to be nearly dead." She said casually. "But with all the medical equipment here, that shouldn't be a problem." Everyone looked at her as if she had said that we would have to skin live puppies and have Santa give the pelts to toddlers.

The wish ghost sighed. "Look, it's dangerous, I know. But every day that goes by is another day that she is stuck in the worst place immaginable. I know it's a risk but with everything that's been going on, I think it's worth it."

It was silent for a long time. Finally, I spoke out. "I'll do it."

Everyone stared at me, but no one argued. We all knew that if anyone was going to do it, it was me. And we also knew that, honestly, of course I was going to do it. So we didn't fight about it. Instead, we all sat together, playing games, drinking hot chocolate, and watching Christmas movies. We stayed up until Starfire insisted we sleep or else Santa wouldn't come, and even then, we just moved into the game room, continuing our night. We didn't talk about tomorrow. We didn't fight. We were just together.

And it was the best Christmas Eve I ever had.

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**CHRISTMAS**

Reality hit that morning. Desiree said that the storm clouds overhead that held snow could easily be manipulated to create lightning. And lightning was the easiest and safest way to get me into the land of Lost Souls. Since I was going to be practically dead, it might even help Liz show up- that was the plan anyways.

The titans said that we wouldn't celebrate Christmas until I was back- with or without Liz, it would give us something to celebrate.

Desiree gave me a crash course about the land of Lost Souls. I had to be nearly dead because the living were not meant to enter this dimension. Living beings _could_ enter it, but it made everything about a billion times more dangerous since the souls would try and suck the life out of them. The Lost souls would be everywhere, and they would look like shadows. I had to do my best to not think because they didn't think; they only had one thought- freedom. When I entered, even if I was pretty close to being dead, I could be thinking. And if I thought too much, the souls would know. And as soon as they realized I was from somewhere else they would run over each other and literally kill me in hopes that I could free them.

"Lost Souls can be freed," Desiree explained. "If an outsider takes their hand, then the soul can leave with them and live again. I cannot stress this enough, don't take anyone else. Those souls are there for a reason, don't touch them. They might touch you, but your goal is to remain as calm and thoughtless as possible. If you do this right, they won't be able to touch you, and neither will anything else in there."

There was one danger to that. Being in the land of the Lost souls too much could, apparently, mess with ones head; make him think he was a Lost Soul. The way Desiree put it, the dimension basically just makes you another Lost Soul that doesn't have a purpose.

That's why Raven would be there; she'd be using her mind powers to be in my head so I could talk with everyone back home. So that I didn't forget who I was or what I was doing.

Dani wasn't wrong- this was a stupid plan. There was a thousand different ways for me to get myself killed. But this would finally give everyone, especially me, closure.

So I died.

Everyone stood around me as an IV pumped my veins full of drugs that would slow my body processes until I was as close to being legally dead as you can get.

The drugs made me head feel light and my vision dark, and for a minute, it felt like I really was dying. And I thought _If this is how I'm gonna die, I'll take it. Surrounded by friends. This is nice. This is peaceful._

I heard soft whispers a million miles away and then I heard Ravens voice in my head.

"Are you ready Danny?"

I thought I was until I was quite literally thrown into hell.

However dead I was in the real world didn't seem to matter here; I felt just as alive as ever. In the blink of an eye I was in a tornado, spinning around and around with the wind, being thrown this way and that. Thoughts flew through my mind; was I in the right place, was something wrong? Did I _actually_ die?

I saw them first. They were black shadows moving up and down the walls of tornado. They were all different shapes, some human and some not. And then I felt them. They were clawing and grabbing at my, ripping my clothes and sending me flying in even more erratic directions.

"RAVEN!" I shouted, and even more souls cam for me. It doesn't sound scary, but the utter terror I felt can't be put into words.

"I'm here. I'm here. Desiree says you need to get all other thoughts out of your mind. Focus everything on one thing and it should stop. Cyborg is drugging your body more. It'll be ok, you got this."

It was near impossible, but I thought of Liz. She was here. Or had been at least. She had survived all of this, so I could too. Liz.

I felt lighter. Things seemed... different. Part of me registered that it was probably the drugs that were keeping me dead, but most of me just realized that I was floating in the middle of the tornado; the souls were ignoring me, and the winds weren't moving me.

"We're going outside, trying to summon lightning." I heard Raven tell me. But I didn't answer. I was in a trance. This dimension didn't seem scary. It seemed peaceful. Sure, the souls were creepy looking and fighting each other, but it was quiet.

Snow began to fall. Somewhere I heard someone say we were outside now. But it was snowing. I stretched my hand out to catch a flake, but it passed right through me. I had never really known what it was to be a real ghost- the kind with no purpose; the green formless blobs in the ghost zone that wailed and were untouchable. But now I did. It was lonely, but it was tranquil.

"Danny, do me a favor." Raven said. "Desiree says not to go towards the top- whatever that means. We won't be able to talk to you if you go up there though. So don't do it. Ok?"

"K..."

I didn't _want_ to go to the top. I was happy right here. It was stress free, calming and safe. I didn't have to be a hero here.

A bolt of lightning wizzed past my face.

I opened my eyes and watched as all the souls turned and started flying up the walls of the vortex, towards the top. Lightning crackled around me, but it didn't touch me.

"Liz?" I called. The snow started sticking to my jeans. I didn't have time to realize my mistake before a soul grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me back and passing through me before racing with all the other up the walls.

"DANNY!" Someone shouted. I tried to remember who, but the name escaped me. All I knew was that everything felt very wrong, and the world was going dark.

I was on my back, laying on the ground. There was a ground.

Something was wrong. The plan was dangerous, we all had known that going in. But this was definitely _not_ part of the plan.

 _"You lied to us!"_ A voice cut through the wind. " _You're killing him!"_

 _"Get him back."_ A different, tearful voice reached my ears. I could just make out the words through the storm around me; just enough to understand the words, not enough to tell who was speaking. _"This isn't worth it. Bring him back."_.

"Danny," Raven's voice rang clearly in my mind. "Danny, it's time to come back. This isn't working. Focus on my voice, follow it back here."

The shadows all seemed to turn to me, reaching for me, grabbing for any part of me as I remembered what I was doing.

"But I haven't-"

"I know." Raven sighed. "I know. But it's too dangerous. We need you to come back. We can't loose both you in there okay? It's time to let her go."

I closed my eyes again, ready to let Raven lead my mind home. But then I opened them again. I don't know why.

And then I saw them. Two shadows that _weren't_ fighting to make their way towards me. They were exactly where I had been warned not to go- the top of the twister, the point of no return.

I heard Raven yelling at me. I heard all the other voices too. But It didn't matter. I had one thing on my mind, and it lifted me higher and higher, past the hollow screams of the shadows, that let me pass through the lightning bolts and not get tossed around by the wind.

"Danny!" Raven screamed. "Danny, don't do this! Say something, please!"

"Hey Raven," I heard her breath catch in my head. I looked around at the vortex, at all the shadows, and at the storm. "Merry Christmas."

The next snowflake that fell landed and melted on my palm, and my last hold on reality faded.

I couldn't hear them anymore. I knew they were still there, and they would stay there. Whether or not I came back from this, whether or not my plan worked, they would still be there.

The trip up was painful. I was thinking about Liz, yes, but I was thinking about other things too. But it was worth it- or would be if my plan worked. So the wind could toss me around, the snow could blind me, and the lightning could strike me. It was worth it. Being alive was worth it.

The souls tried to grab me. They tried to pull me way from my goal. And if anything, I thank them for it. It kept me alive and focused, reminded me that this chaos was not beautiful or calm. It was ugly and hateful, and it was not a place for people to be.

Finally, I got to the top. I understood why the Lost Souls were all racing to get here. There was a battle between a red soul and a purple soul. The purple soul was turning red, but it was fighting it. And it was fighting the red soul like the fate of the world depended on it.

"Liz."

The world froze. The snow stopped falling, the wind stopped blowing, and the souls stopped swarming. The two colored souls turned and looked at me and in that moment I knew.

It was her.

The red soul gave the purple soul- _Liz's_ soul- one final shove before fleeing to who knows where. The snow again began to fall and the wind picked up, but nothing else moved.

Liz's soul was stained with red, and I couldn't help but remember the nightmares I'd had of her being bloody and broken. Her soul pulsed like it was breathing, and I swear it was looking at me. Tears pricked my eyes and my voice cracked when I spoke.

"Liz." a brighter pulse. "Let's go home." I extended my hand and slowly, as if not believing it, she took my hand.

Her soul changed in appearance; as I watched the shadow of color turned back into a human like shape and then refined itself into Liz.

"Danny?" She said quietly.

I couldn't move. It was Liz, but not. Everything about her looked right, but her hair was black and her eyes were red.

Liz noticed my staring and touched her hair. "Danny... It's me... it's me Danny."

I kissed her. Lost Souls surged at us, but it didn't matter. I had Liz. I had the real, honest to God, Liz. We were both crying as we pulled apart.

"I knew you'd find me." Liz whispered, the hand not in mine on the side of my face.

"I never stopped hoping," She wiped the tears from my eyes. It was such a simple gesture, but it made me cry even harder. It was Liz. My Liz. I found her.

"Let's go home." I told her. She nodded.

"We... we have a lot to talk about, huh?" She smiled as her tears fell.

"Yeah. But first I want to kiss you again." So I did. I held her close as we descended, ignoring the snow and the souls, just relishing in being in each others arms. I couldn't believe it. My heart was pounding in my chest and I couldn't stop smiling. I had Liz. I found her.

"DANNY!" Raven's voice cried in my head.

"I hear you. I have her. We're coming home."

Raven cried when she heard my voice- but she denied it later. Desiree talked through Raven about what we needed to do to come home.

"Just let your mind go blank." Raven said. "And hold on to Liz. We'll do the rest."

I kissed Liz one more time and held her even closer, her head on my chest. The Lost Souls left us alone as Raven and Desiree slowly brought us back to reality.

"I'll see you on the other side," I whispered as the land of the Lost Souls faded away.

She looked at me with her now ruby red eyes. "I love you Danny."

My world went black before I could answer, but I hope she knew my reply.

_I love you too Liz._

**EPILOGUE**

(Danny)

Perfect ending, right? True love ends up together at last. Yeah, not so much. That's not the end. Not by a long shot.

I was basically dead, so it took me a little while to wake up in the real world. But until I did, I dreamed. It was going to be a perfect Christmas, we would all give gifts and stuff our faces with Cyborgs cooking and spend the day watching kiddy Christmas movies.

I woke up in the infirmary. My IV's were hooked up to brand new drugs, probably ones to help bring me _back_ to life, and a machine measuring my vitals was beeping next to me.

I expected everyone to be around me again, for Liz to throw herself next to me and laugh and cry and call me an idiot for 'dying' for her. But she wasn't there. The only other person in the room was Robin, and he didn't exactly look like he was in the Christmas spirit.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, slowly sitting up. He jumped and looked at me walking over to try and push me back down.

"Take it easy." He cautioned. "You really had us believing you were dead there for a while."

"Where's Liz?"

Robin shoved a bottle of water, a protein bar, and a little cup with some pills in my face. "Take this, it'll help you feel better."

I downed the pills with a couple of gulps of water before asking again, "Where's Liz."

"Danny, you really need rest. You vitals are still weak and you took a beating over there- don't think your body here didn't feel it."

"Robin." I was starting to get scared. "Did she not make it back with me? I can go back! I saw her I-"

Robin stopped me as the machine measuring my heart rate went crazy. "Danny, it's not like that. But... It's not good either..."

"Tell me what happened."

Robin sat down on my bed, looking long and hard into my eyes, then at my vitals, then back at me. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

"I'll show you." He said grudgingly. "But you have to promise me, and I mean seriously promise me, that you will eat and rest up for a couple of days okay? I'm not taking this 'being dead' thing lightly, and neither is anyone else. Deal?"

"Deal."

Robin took his time unhooking me from all the medical equipment, making me even more suspicious of what was going on. What could possibly be so bad that everyone is this concerned? Liz was here, right? So what was up?

"Let's go..." Robin said."

He helped me to my feet, and steadied me when I swayed a little. I followed him to the living room door, before he stopped me.

"This was a bad idea." Robin shook his head. "You need more rest before you can handle this."

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could make a sound, a heard a quiet "Thank you,". It was Liz. She had spoken. She was in the room right in front of me and Robin was trying to STOP me?

I shoved past him before he could stop me, racing into the room.

"Liz!" I smiled wide. "Liz I'm here! I'm-"

The titans, Dani and Leon were gathered around the couch, faces grim but friendly. They looked up, a mixture of surprise to see me and anger at Robin on their faces.

I took another step forward. There was a person sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around their shoulders, their black hair falling down their back.

Maybe that was it, maybe the titans were just freaked out by Liz's new hair color.

"Liz?" I asked, walking forward again.

She stood up and turned towards me. The girl facing me was not Liz- not really. They had her face, and her voice, but they looked scared, empty, and confused. I had never once seen that look on my Liz's face.

"I- I'm sorry..." She looked at me uncertainly. "But do I know you?"

THE END

**so what'd ya think? Good? Bad? Oh... Yeah that ending. Ha well this is a PIPER MASTERS story remember. There are no happy endings *evil laugh through tears* I'M SORRY I SWEAR IT ALL HAS A MEANING IN THE END! maybe.**

**Oh, yeah, there's gonna be another book after this. IDK if i mentioned that or not but if I didn't then DAMN that must have been hard to read! haha...haha...ha? No?**

**GUYS IN AMNESIA IT'S NOT LIKE I KILLED HER OR SOMETHING- this time- SO QUIT YOUR CRYING MY GOD HAHA... no? Yeah... Yeah no Let's cry. #CryForLiz and yes. Yes I did cry and yes I am evil.**

**QUESTIONS:**

**Thoughts on the ending?**

**Predictions for next book:**

**WHAT ABOUT THE SCIENCE UP IN THERE I CAME UP WITH THAT 5 YEARS AGO NOW:**

**Anything else you have questions about feel free to ask! :D (And for that one guy in the back- yeah Andrew I'm looking at you, 'WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY' Is not a valid question. Get off my lawn XD)**

**LOVE Y'ALL SEE YOU NEXT BOOK!**

**~Piper (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)**


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